Ann Arbor, Mich. ? The University of Michigan announced Wednesday it will comply with a new voter-approved ban on affirmative action and immediately stop considering race and gender in admissions.

The move came in the middle of the admissions process for next fall’s freshman class. The university has already begun sending out acceptance and rejection letters.

The constitutional amendment approved by the voters in November bans the use of race and gender preferences in public university admissions and government hiring and contracting.

After it passed, the university put its admission process on hold and asked the courts that it be given until this summer to comply with the ban, saying it would be too disruptive to change its policies now. But a federal appeals court said no.