(Radio Iowa) – University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook says the U-S Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions doesn’t alter the ways a prospective student’s application is evaluated. Nook says his university has never used quotas as a rigid means of admitting students of different backgrounds — and instead relies on metrics like the Board of Regent’s admissions index

“They said look if a student hits this mark with their grades and the classes they’ve taken and their test scores than they’re admitted to any of the Iowa Regent’s institutions if you hit that mark, you’re in,” Nook says. He says extracurricular activities are another way they evaluate a student to see if they are prepared for the coursework.  “We know we have students who may have missed it by a little bit but were extremely involved in other activities. … And it’s clear from their record that they have the abilities to be successful,” he says.

For the 2022 academic year, ten percent of U-N-I’s student population belonged to non-white minority groups. While some elite colleges have ended their practice of legacy admissions that give preference to the children of alumni following the court ruling, Drake University President Marty Martin says his school won’t end its program. “Our legacy program, as moderate as it is, is not one that impairs the attendance of other qualified students. With those other qualified students getting as well robust financial aid packages,” Martin says.

Martin says the school works hard to attract students from all backgrounds. “One-hundred percent of the entering class at Drake University receives financial aid from the institution, we work incredibly hard to make our education as affordable as possible for as many of our admitted students as possible,” he says. Martin says more than a quarter of Drake’s student body are students of color.

Martin and Nook made their comments on Iowa Public Radio’s “River to River”program.