Dear GSAS community,
I write to follow up on President Salovey’s message regarding the Supreme Court rulings on race in admissions. I share President Salovey’s deep disappointment in the outcome of these decisions, and I want to reaffirm the Graduate School’s unwavering commitment to our mission: to educate graduate students to seek answers to life’s most challenging questions by investing in and drawing upon the strengths of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive community of scholars and researchers.
These decisions leave us all with many questions. In the coming weeks, as we better understand the contours of this ruling, we will review the Graduate School’s admissions processes to ensure that they comply with the law. We will be in touch with departments and programs in the fall should there be any changes. In September, the Law School also will convene a panel of experts for an in-depth discussion of the Supreme Court decisions. We will follow up with additional details about that event when they are available.
The diversity of our personal experiences and perspectives gives us unique and valuable insights to identify and solve complex problems through research and scholarship. In the wake of these decisions, I encourage us all to consider how our personal histories have shaped us as individuals and inspired us to take on the work we are doing. These allow us to thrive, to be ourselves, to seek our fullest potential, and to participate in the vibrant life of our scholarly community and its pursuit of excellence.
Sincerely,
Lynn Cooley
Dean, Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs
C.N.H. Long Professor of Genetics
Professor of Cell Biology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
June 29, 2023
