The University of Michigan unveiled an admissions policy yesterday that preserves affirmative action but applies it less strictly, without assigning any numerical advantage, or extra points, to minority applicants.

The new approach, a response to the Supreme Court's decisions spelling out how race may be used in admissions, will bring the university in line with the bulk of smaller, selective colleges nationwide. It may also serve as a model for how other public universities can seek to create diverse campuses in a constitutionally permissible ? though significantly more expensive ? way.

For Michigan, the costs of the admissions process should rise by $1.5 million to $2 million, or more than 33 percent. It takes effect this fall.

"Our fundamental values haven't changed," Mary Sue Coleman, president of the university, said in a statement in Ann Arbor. "We believe that in order to create a dynamic learning environment for all our students, we must bring together students who are highly qualified academically and who represent a wide range of backgrounds and experiences."