Saturday, April 15, 2006

University of Michigan & Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court ruled that race can be a factor for universities shaping their admissions programs, saying a broad social value may be gained from diversity in the classroom. (See this article for details.)

But race cannot be an overriding factor for schools' admissions programs, the court ruled, saying that such plans can lead to unconstitutional policies.

A high point system was struck down by the high court but another policy was approved that gives race less prominence in the decision making process.

At the University the issue was whether racial preference programs unconstitutionally discriminate against white students. Since you cannot establish point policies for minorities, you have to be more creative and less definitive.

The university has used race as a factor in admissions, but out of 5,000 accepted to the program a year African Americans only make up 9%, Latinos 6%, and Native Americans 2%, which still leaves a predominately white majority.

The court agreed with the university's arguments that the law school policy "promotes 'cross-racial understanding,' helps to break down racial stereotypes, and 'enables [students] to better understand persons of different races,'"

I believe that race should be a factor in deciding admissions because of this argument. I think that most people may have this idea that these policies fill the universities with minorities, when, in reality the numbers of minorities enrolled are still quite small. Perhaps an actual point system should not be used to apply a specific number to the applicant because of their race, however, other creative systems should. What I mean by this is, it should be factored into the equation, but not so strictly with numbers. I don't feel there is any room when numbers are involved. I think race should be considered, but only in relation to everything else.

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