Unpacking the SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision
Season 3: Episode 1 with Guest and legal analyst, Beth Devonshire, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Welcome to the first new episode of Season 3 of Office Hours with Dr. De Veau!
This past summer, SCOTUS had HigherEd in its crosshairs. Between the dismantling of affirmative action in admissions and the blowing up of President Biden’s plan for alleviating Student Loan Debt. Higher Ed and our students got a one two punch. Whenever I am looking for a HigherEd Legal Ear, I call on a couple of key people - one of them is Beth Devonshire. Beth is a lawyer, and is currently the Associate General Counsel at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, She’s been around - a while. She also has a wicked sense of humor… which is necessary or we would bang our heads against a wall.
She is also least likely to panic when it comes to legal rulings, even in times of head on fire decisions and moves. Today’s show allows us to pick apart some of the moves that we should be considering in the wake of the SCOTUS decision. We had a good talk about the guidance that has been delivered in the wake of the decision - and there are some opportunities there to do the work that we are committed to. Look, the decision by SCOTUS is not going anywhere. The best advice I’ve gotten about working with legal counsel is this - just tell them where you want to get and have them use their expertise with the law to get you there.
I hope that you get something out of this. I have a feeling you will.
Show Notes:
Resources from the College Board
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Address to the Boston University School of Law Class of 2023
My guest:
Beth Devonshire, J.D. is currently the Associate General Counsel at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to her role, Beth served as a consultant for D.Stafford & Associates working with institutions on issues involving Title IX, Clery, threat assessment, and other compliance-related issues. Additionally, Beth served as the Associate Dean of Students at UMass Boston, the Director of Community Standards at Bridgewater State University, and the Director of Community Standards at Stonehill College. Prior to her work in higher education, Beth served as a law clerk for the Justices of the Superior Court in Massachusetts and in multiple roles at the Massachusetts State House.
Ms. Devonshire is a faculty member in New England College’s Doctorate of Education Program and the Higher Education Administration program at Bridgewater State University. Additionally, Beth has served on the Public Policy Division for NASPA, is also the former Massachusetts Public Policy Liaison for MA NASPA, and also served as the Director of the Legislative Committee for the Association for Student Conduct Administrators (ASCA) for two years.
Ms. Devonshire is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. She is a graduate of Stonehill College with a degree in English and Secondary Education and holds a J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law. She is also a trained mediator.
With Gratitude
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Office Hours with Dr. De Veau is a podcast designed for the Higher Education community by a Higher Education professional. It is produced by Davis Yas and Pod617 studios. Dr. Laura De Veau is Principal & Founder of Fortify Associates, LLC. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to Dr. De Veau’s Substack Newsletter, “What’s Up in the Academy?” and follow her on Social Media. https://linktr.ee/deveautrain