Isaacs said the Academy would take"dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership;in the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond".
The stunning concession from the Academy comes as anumber of high-profile African American entertainment industry figures have confirmed they will not attend the Oscars.
"We can no longer beg for the love,acknowledgment or respect of any group,"actress Jada Pinkett Smith said in a statement issued via social media.