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UCSD [University of California at San Diego] – Minority Enrollment (1) [2]
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UCSD [University of California at San Diego] – Minority Enrollment (1) [2]
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James (Terry) Edmonds' Files
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FOIA Number: 2006-0462-F
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This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting
Series/Staff Member:
Terry Edmonds
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10989
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UCSD [University of California at San Diego] - Minority Enrollment (1) [2]
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0/23/94
Jerry
Here are the
Important
clips on mixority
enrollment/race.
you y at nixority
should know
enrollment is
actually up in the
school POAS is
at due to an
dozng the spuck
extensive recrectment
effort this year!
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Academe Today
DAILY NEWS
Front page I Today's headlines 1 News Update archive
NEWS FOR FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1997
Sole Black Student in Entering Class
at U. of Texas Law School Withdraws
Sun
By DOUGLAS LEDERMAN
The only black student to accept an offer of admission at the
University of Texas at Austin's law school for this fall has
withdrawn, saying the news media's attention would be too much
to take.
Forced by a federal-court decision last year to stop using race as a
factor in admissions decisions, the Texas law school admitted 11
blacks out of the total of 991 students it accepted. In previous
years, it typically had admitted scores of black students, enrolling
30 to 40 a year in entering classes that have averaged 500
students.
Of the 11 black students admitted this spring, only one remitted
the deposit that guarantees a place in the class. But he telephoned
the school's admissions director, Shelli Soto, this week and
withdrew, citing the extensive attention by the news media about
the dearth of black students there.
"He does not want to spend his law-school career in the spotlight
and in a position where he is going to be the representative for
his race," said Ms. Soto on Thursday. The student, whom the law
school declined to identify, has decided to attend Cornell
University's law school instead.
Ms. Soto said at least one other black student who had been
admitted had told law-school officials that she was sending in a
deposit, but they have not yet received it. Several black students
could still decide to enroll, Ms. Soto said, and others could be
admitted from the waiting list this summer.
The number of other minority students who have accepted offers
of admission to the law school also is down. As of this week,
only 14 Mexican-American students had reserved places in the
class. Normally, the law school enrolls 40 to 60
I of 2
05/23/97 10:30:22
Academe
Mexican-American students a year.
"It is premature to say these are the end results," Ms. Soto said,
"but we are not optimistic."
Background stories from Academe Today's
daily-update archive:
"Only One Black Student Has Accepted
Admission to U. of Texas Law School,"
5/22/97
"Number of Minority Students Admitted to U.
of Texas Law School Plummets," 4/10/97
Information in depth:
A special section with background stories
from The Chronicle and documents related to
affirmative action in Texas
RETURN TO TODAY'S HEADLINES
Front page I Guide to the site I Today's news I Internet resources I Colloquy I
Washington I New grant competitions I This Week's Chronicle I Chronicle archive I
Information Bank I Jobs I Advertisers I About The Chronicle I Help
2 of 2
05/23/97 10:30:24
13
12. The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 23, 1997
Minority Enrollments Rose in 1995, a Study Finds
Hispanic students had the largest gain - 4.6% - over the previous year
By BEN GOSE
WASHINGTON
Students from the nation's four largest
Even so, the proportion of white people
students from some regions do not fit the
minority groups enrolled in larger numbers
ages 18 to 24 who were attending college
high-achieving Asian stereotype.
at U.S. colleges and universities in 1995
hit an all-time high of 43 per cent. Black
While students of Chinese and Japanese
than in 1994, according to an annual study
and Hispanic people of this traditional
descent from the ages of 18 to 24 enroll in
to be released this week by the American
college age each had a college-attendance
college at rates far exceeding the average
Council on Education.
rate of 35 per cent. Figures for
for all students, those of Pacific Island
The total number of minority students
Asian-Americans and American Indians
ancestry are less likely than average to
rose 2.9 per cent, to about 3,496,000, in
were not available, the study's authors said.
enroll. For example, fewer than 30 per cent
1995, the latest year for which data are
In a section on graduation rates, the
of people of Hawaiian or Samoan descent
available. Minority students accounted for
study shows that students in the two
in that age group enroll in college.
a quarter of all students in 1995.
largest minority groups had a tough time
The report shows that Asian Americans
Hispanic students gained the most.
earning diplomas. In 1994, the latest year
were twice as likely to earn degrees in
Their enrollment rose 4.6 per cent, to
for which degree-completion information
science and mathematics as other students.
1,094,000. The enrollment of American
is available, black students made up 10.7
But Kenyon S. Chan, chairman of the
Indians increased 3.1 per cent, to 131,000,
percent of the undergraduate population at
Asian-American-studies department at
and the enrollment of Asian-Americans
four-year institutions, but earned only 7.2
California State University at Northridge,
rose 3 per cent, to 797,000. Black
per cent of all bachelor's degrees. Hispanic
noted that Asian-Americans, like students
enrollment was up 1.7 per cent, to
students were 7.9 per cent of the
from other ethnic groups, were most likely
1,474,000 students.
undergraduate population that year, but
to carn a degree in business.
The numbers in the report are based on
they earned only 4.3 per cent of the
"It would be wrong to assume that
data provided by the Education
bachelor's degrees.
Asian-Pacific-American students are
Department and other federal agencies.
Nonetheless, minority students showed
somehow linked genetically to science and
Stanley O. Ikenberry, president of the
progress in earning all types of degrees in
math and can't do anything else," said Dr.
education council, said he was pleased to
1994.
Chan, a co-author of the special section on
see the numbers continue to rise but was
The number of associate's degrees they
Asian-Americans.
worried that minority enrollment was
earned rose 9.8 per cent; bachelor's
Copies of the "Fifteenth Annual Status
growing at a slower pace than it had in the
degrees, 8.5 per cent; master's degrees,
Report on Minorities in Higher
early 1990s.
11.1 per cent; and professional degrees,
Education," are available for $24.95 from
"The trend lines are beginning to flatten
9.7 per cent.
the American Council on Education,
out," he said. "That's our primary concern
The study offered more-recent data for
Publications Department M, One Dupont
this year."
doctoral degrees: Minority students earned
Circle, N.W., Washington 20036.
For the third straight year, total
13.7 per cent more doctoral degrees in
Additional data, including a
enrollment dipped despite gains among
1995 than in 1994.
comprehensive look at state-by-state
minority students. The tiny decline in total
This year's study examines
enrollment numbers, is available in a report
enrollment - about a tenth of 1 per cent
Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in
from the U.S. Department of Education,
- resulted from a drop among white
particular detail. The authors note that the
"Enrollment in Higher Education: Fall
students. In 1995, enrollment of white
term "Asian Pacific American"
1995." It can be found on the World-Wide
students fell 1.1 per cent, to 10,311,000.
encompasses considerable variety, and that
Web at: http://www.ed.gov/NCES/
16
Dr. Hammond-Paludan says the
proposing for fiscal 1998 a
are the only group of colleges in the state
commission's intent was to generate
higher-education budget of $732-million,
without this power, and that their
reliable data that would help win
the same amount appropriated for the
financial autonomy is undermined by the
lawmakers' trust and make it easier to
current fiscal year. With Republicans in
burdens placed on them when the state
persuade them to support higher
control of the Legislature, the budget's
fails to cover the costs of the raises it
education down the road.
chances of passage are good.
gives their employees. But Governor
But the report was widely viewed as
"They have a revenue problem, and
Whitman has not yet tackled the issue.
evidence that the commission had
they want to squeeze as much out of
and, with a fall re-election campaign
shirked its role of advocating on the
higher education as possible." says Mr.
looming, she is not expected to risk the
colleges' behalf, and seemed to be
Greer. who leads the state-college group.
wrath of labor leaders by doing so.
functioning more as an arm of the
The state's nine four-year public
In a statement issued last month, the
executive branch. College officials
colleges are especially irked by Governor
state's Treasurer, Brian W. Clymer, said
criticized the study for making unfair,
Whitman's budget because it does not
the colleges did not need to raise tuition
apples-and-oranges comparisons between
give them the additional $13.5-million
and could cover the salary increases by
their institutions and those outside the
they need to cover the salary increases
dipping into cash surpluses or trimming
state. Dr. Speert. of William Paterson
for faculty and staff members that were
waste. He has offered to send his staff
College, says the report led people to
negotiated by the state. The colleges'
members to campuses to identify savings.
think of higher education only in terms
boards of trustees have been discussing
Robert A. Scott. president of Ramapo
of cost and tuition rates, and not "in
tuition increases of 9 to 15 per cent,
College of New Jersey, says that he let
terms of what it accomplishes or what it
sparking student protests on some
Mr. Clymer's staff examine his
does for their region of the state."
campuses.
operations, and that "virtually all of the
The draft report, which the
The restructuring law called for the
ideas that were suggested were things
commission has yet to approve, probably
state to consider relinquishing its control
that we had already done or were under
would not have riled college officials as
over labor contracts at the four-year
way.
much had Governor Whitman not been
colleges. These campuses argue that they
14. The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 23. 1997
Backers of Affirmative Action Seek Research to Bolster
Cause
At meeting at Harvard, sympathetic lawyers tell scholars that their work will
not sway many judges
By Douglas Lederman
Cambridge, Mass. - For two
University's Civil Rights Project,
minuscule sliver of affirmative action."
decades. colleges have taken for granted
assessed existing social-science research
said Anthony M. Platt. a professor of
that it is not only legal, but just, to use
on the value of diversity - which they
social work at California State University
affirmative action to diversify their
found wanting - and brainstormed
at Sacramento. Supporters of affirmative
student bodies and faculties.
about studies that might yet be done.
action may be better off. he said.
But ever since a federal appeals court
They also exhorted each other to make
"focusing instead on reaching a larger
shattered that assumption more than a
the case for affirmative action in every
group of Americans, not around narrow
year ago by barring a Texas law school
possible setting.
legal issues, but around a defense of
from using race as a factor in admissions
But as legal experts picked apart the
democracy in higher education."
decisions, college officials have been
academic studies offered in support of
That idea appealed to many of the
forced to wrestle with the knotty task of
affirmative action, civil-rights advocates
participants, who argued that the political
persuading judges, politicians, and the
and professors bristled as they realized
fight over the future of affirmative action
public that diversity is an essential goal,
how little room recent court decisions
was, in the long run, more significant and
and affirmative action a valid way of
have left for justifying the use of racial
promising than the continuing conflict in
achieving it.
preferences, no matter how passionately
the courts. But legal experts in the group
A meeting of more than 150
proponents believe affirmative action to
repeatedly reminded their colleagues that
academics, lawyers, and civil-rights
be morally right.
academe cannot afford to ignore the legal
advocates here this month showed just
"It's frustrating to be focusing on how
fight, now being waged on new fronts in
how tough a chore that may be, and how
we can come up with data and research
Georgia and Washington State.
far academe is from accomplishing it.
that will make the case before a
"The question of whether you can
Participants at the day-long
reactionary Supreme Court as to why
actually defeat this or turn it back. that's
conference, sponsored by Harvard
they should continue to allow some
easy. If you don't do anything, you lose."
17
said Roger Wilkins, a George Mason
judge of the merits of diversity. He
a dozen social-science studies in court.
University professor who worked
suggested that a judge or opposing
but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
alongside Thurgood Marshall in the
lawyer would challenge her argument by
Fourth Circuit dismissed this evidence in
Justice Department.
saying: If you believe that those
declaring
the
scholarship
The conference was the third at
techniques are beneficial, why not just
unconstitutional. Maryland could have
Harvard since March 1996, when the
require all professors to adopt them.
"presented the Sermon on the Mount to
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth
rather than counting on only some
the Fourth Circuit" and still lost. said
Circuit barred the law school at the
minority professors to do so?
Martin Michaelson, a Washington
University of Texas at Austin from
Legal experts poked similar holes in
lawyer. at the Harvard meeting.
considering race in admissions. By
other pieces of research, disheartening
As much as they dislike being put on
declaring that attracting a diverse student
some of the academics in attendance,
the defensive about affirmative action.
body was not a sufficiently compelling
who were confronted with the need to
some participants in the Harvard meeting
reason to use affirmative action, the Fifth
justify a concept they believe in
said academe must seize the opportunity
Circuit repudiated the Supreme Court's
implicitly.
to make its case.
1978 decision in Regents of the
But Christopher Edley. Jr., a Harvard
"One of the best arguments for
University of California V. Bakke, on
law professor who with Gary Orfield, a
diversity is that the most powerful
which most colleges have justified their
Harvard education professor, co-founded
learning takes place when students'
use of race-based preferences.
the Civil Rights Project to grapple with
viewpoints are challenged. and that's
At the first Harvard meeting, in May
issues of race in American society, said it
what's happening to us," said Richard H.
1996, which was closed to the public,
was "really healthy for lawyers to tell the
Hersh. president of Hobart and William
educators and lawyers plotted a strategy
researchers, 'You're answering the wrong
Smith Colleges. "We have to translate
for defending affirmative action in
question' or 'You're presuming a
into public knowledge what we can
academe.
more-sympathetic audience than we deal
prove about why diversity is good, yet be
The second meeting, which took place
with."
imaginative and inventive and honest
last month, focused on the impact that
Dr. Edley, who helped moderate the
enough to say, 'Okay, in what way have
colleges' inability to use race in
session and spent much of the day
we been myopic? How have we been
admissions would have on efforts to
roaming the auditorium in white running
wrong?"
diversify their campuses, and whether
shoes, microphone in hand, said he
Many of the participants argued that
using class or other race-blind substitutes
hoped that the day-long meeting would
colleges had created at least part of the
would cushion the effect of not using
"generate as much fighting as possible."
current dilemma for themselves by so
race. The conclusions: The impact of
"I would have liked a little more," he
clearly defining excellence as high scores
bans on affirmative action will be great,
said afterward.
on standardized tests, on which black and
and no adequate substitute for race exists.
Dr. Orfield and others outlined the
some other minority students on average
(More evidence of those trends came last
sort of evidence that scholars might
score significantly lower than whites.
week. The law school at the University
develop to back up the idea that students
Colleges have had to use "affirmative
of California at Berkeley announced that
of different races come to class with
action to correct the problems we've
of the 792 students it had admitted for
differing assumptions, leading them to
inflicted on ourselves with our testing
fall 1997, using new criteria that conform
test each others' views in ways that help
standards," Dr. Edley said.
to the university's ban on race-based
all of them learn. "If you are a black
De-emphasizing the weight placed on
preferences, just 14 were black and 23
Harvard law student and put on the
such tests would make colleges less
were Chicano. A year ago, it admitted 75
wrong outfit and walk in the wrong
dependent on affirmative-action
black applicants and 44 Chicano
neighborhood, you will be stopped by
admission policies. he and others said.
applicants.)
police" - something that would not
What emerged most clearly from the
For this month's conference, which
happen to a white student, Dr. Orfield
session at Harvard, several participants
was aimed at developing research on
said. That black student's approach to a
said, was that higher education is just
diversity for use in court cases, the
law-school discussion about illegal
beginning to sort out a response to the
Harvard sponsors asked several scholars
search and seizure would differ
legal and political tide against affirmative
to report on existing studies of how
significantly from that of a white student,
action. The answers to tough questions.
diversity helps students learn and
he said.
they agreed, will be hashed out in
teachers teach, and to glean similar
Dr. Edley said the Civil Rights Project
additional meetings planned by the Civil
evidence from data bases.
planned to raise funds to commission
Rights Project at Harvard, and in many
Sylvia Hurtado, an assistant professor
such studies. He acknowledged,
other gatherings of lawyers, university
of education at the University of
however, that even a mountain of such
officials, and researchers in the months
Michigan, unveiled a study showing that
evidence might not persuade federal
and years to come.
female and minority professors are more
judges like those in the Texas case, who
What is not at all clear. they admit, is
likely than white men to use cooperative
declared that race was no more relevant
whether the answers will come fast
learning and other techniques that, she
to a person's character and views than
enough to keep up with the stream of
said, help students learn.
"physical size or blood type."
court challenges to affirmative action -
But John A. Payton, a Washington
The lawyers who defended a
and, when the answers come, whether
lawyer who has defended affirmative
blacks-only scholarship at the University
they will satisfy skeptical judges and an
action in several major cases, said such a
of Maryland in 1994 presented more than
uncertain public.
finding would probably not convince a
12
making sure there is a talented teacher in
technology.
"Just about any field you're going to
every classroom. He also wants to
"We're not up in the hollow in the
go into, you're going to use a computer."
expand the Head Start program.
strip mine. We're anywhere in the world
Wentz said. "Just being familiar with the
The state has boosted its teacher
we want to go." he said.
computer in the workplace is
salaries from 49th in the nation to 32nd
Although not all students will receive
tremendously useful."
from 1990-95. and no other state has
classes on virtual reality. all are expected
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said
matched West Virginia's commitment to
to graduate with some grasp of
the focus on computers is not misplaced.
staff development during that period.
computers. and up to 70 percent of
Six out of 10 jobs will require workers to
Marockie said.
graduates go on to college.
know how to use computers by the year
The state also pumped $900 million
Rebekah Squires. a students who
2000, he said.
into capital improvements since 1989,
helped put together the school's virtual
Rockefeller announced a $2 million
meaning about 70 percent of public
reality tour. plans to study accounting at
Department of Education grant for
school students in West Virginia are in
West Virginia University before going to
computers, software and training for
new or renovated schools, he said.
law school.
teachers on the eve of Clinton's visit, the
Robert C. Byrd High School, built on
But her computer training will come
first by a sitting president in Clarksburg
a former strip mine in a hollow, will be
in handy regardless of the field she
in 45 years.
used by the president as a model in
ultimately enters.
"The bottom line of all of this is how
preparing students for the 21st century.
"No matter what job you go into. there
well children do," Marockie said. "The
The $24 million school boasts 10
are going to be advantages of using a
children in West Virginia are
computer labs, the state's only "virtual
computer," Squires said. "You can't live
demonstrating they are achieving at the
reality" lab and Internet access that
day-to-day and be totally computer
top of the levels in reading and
allows students to go anywhere in the
illiterate."
mathematics.
world, said Chester Hall, director of
Sophomore Nathanael Wentz agreed.
TRADE
10. Chronicle of Higher Education -- Academe Today
May 22, 1997
Only One Black Student Has Accepted Admission to U.
of Texas Law School
By KARLA HAWORTH
14 Mexican-American students had
year. Offers of admission to members of
Only one black student has accepted
reserved places in the class, Mr. Sharlot
other minority groups. including
an offer of admission to the University of
said.
Hispanic and American Indian students.
Texas at Austin law school so far this
In contrast. the number of
declined as well.
spring, compared with about 40 last year.
Asian-American students who have
Officials at the Universities of
The school's dean blamed the drop in
reserved places has risen. Last year, Mr.
California and Texas blamed the sharp
acceptance by black and Hispanic
Sharlot said, about 30 Asian-American
drops on policies banning affirmative
students on a federal court's decision last
students enrolled. This year, 41 have
action. In June 1995, the University of
year that banned the consideration of
indicated that they would enroll.
California's Board of Regents banned the
race in Texas admissions.
Mr. Sharlot called the drop in black
consideration of race in decisions on
Enrollment figures will not be official
and Hispanic students a "disaster" for the
contracting, hiring, and admissions
until the start of the fall term. But by this
University of Texas. which has been a
throughout the nine-campus system. In
time last year, the law school had
leader in producing minority lawyers.
March 1996, the U.S. Court of Appeals
received many more tuition deposits
"This is the same pattern I think you'll
for the Fifth Circuit struck down the
from black and Mexican-American
find at Berkeley and U.C.L.A. and other
affirmative-action admissions program at
students, said M. Michael Sharlot, dean
schools that are operating under a ban of
the University of Texas at Austin's law
of the law school. Over the last decade,
race-conscious affirmative action." Mr.
school.
he said, the school has enrolled 30 to 40
Sharlot said.
Aggressive efforts at recruitment may
black students and 40 to 60
Indeed, the University of California at
help increase the enrollment of minority
Mexican-American students a year in
Berkeley last week announced that the
students next year, Mr. Sharlot said. "But
entering classes that have averaged 500
number of minority students offered
obviously, the only true solution is for
students.
admission to its law school, known as
the Supreme Court to take a case and
As of Wednesday, he said, only one
Boalt Hall, had plunged. The pool of
announce a rule that would be of national
black student had remitted the deposit
black admittees fell to 14 from 75 last
application," he said.
that guarantees a place in the class. Only
13
11. Education Daily
May 22, 1997
TWO STATES TRYING TO EASE AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION SQUEEZE
T
exas and California, at the center
the school would not have accepted
recommends.
of legal and political wrangling to
previously, because they didn't meet
Forming "school-centered
end affirmative action, are both
academic standards, to take summer
partnerships" among each UC campus
working to stem the resulting decline in
courses to prepare for college- level
and public schools chosen for their poor
minority college applications.
work.
academic performance, to establish
Gov. George Bush signed a law
"But it's still unclear whether we can
standards and improve student
Tuesday that requires public universities
require them to do that," Walker said.
achievement.
to accept all Texas high school graduates
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of
Expanding academic outreach
in the top 10 percent of their class; it
Appeals ruled last year in Hopwood V.
programs for K-12 students. and
takes effect in 90 days.
Texas (78 F.3d 932) that a college cannot
Creating an "information outreach"
"We want our state universities to
consider race in admissions unless it is
program to help students and their
reach out and include students in all
intended to correct continuing
families prepare for college.
walks of life," said Ray Sullivan, the
discrimination at that school (ED, March
Among the goals are doubling the
governor's spokesman. "This [law] gives
21, 1996).
number of UC-eligible graduates at the
them the flexibility to do just that."
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to
disadvantaged schools within the next
In the year since a federal court
review the ruling, leaving it in place for
five years and tripling the number of
virtually eliminated racial preferences in
Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi (ED,
"outreach contacts" with disadvantaged
Texas college admissions, minority
July 2, 1996). But the Education
students and families.
applications to the University of Texas
Department is encouraging colleges
The state and university allocated $3.5
(UT) have fallen 25 percent.
outside the Fifth Circuit to continue
million for the 1997-98 school year to
But university officials fear the new
using race as one factor in admissions
implement the plan. But educators say it
law will create more problems than it
(ED, April 15).
will cost tens of millions of dollars more
solves.
Working With Schools
to be successful, and a state legislator has
Opportunity Not Enough
Meanwhile, the University of California
proposed $20 million for outreach.
Bruce Walker, UT's director of
at Los Angeles' law school has admitted
The task force says success will
admissions in Austin, said the state
80 percent fewer black students and 32
depend mainly on recruiting new
discontinued a "top 10 percent" rule
percent fewer Hispanics from 1996 to
teachers, retaining them and providing
about five years ago because it
this year, the first class to be affected by
"ongoing professional development" for
guaranteed admission to students who
the school's abolishing race preferences
teachers at the partner schools.
weren't prepared academically.
in postgraduate admissions.
The state education department
"It wasn't working," Walker said.
The ban on affirmative action in
estimated last year California will need
"There's unevenness in [K-12] education
undergraduate admissions takes effect
between 17,000 and 30,000 new teachers
across the state."
next year, following the state voters'
each year over the next decade because of
Since then, UT has used a broader
approving Proposition 209 last fall.
retirements and a new "baby boom" of
range of admissions factors, including
A University of California (UC) task
students.
student essays and evidence of leadership
force on Tuesday recommended a
After a public comment period. each
skills. Walker said the law limiting
three-part plan to recruit students at
UC chancellor is to submit a detailed
admissions criteria to one academic
"educationally disadvantaged" high
plan to the UC president by Jan. 1.
standard "is going in the opposite
schools statewide. The report estimates
The American Council on Education
direction."
that 80 percent of students at the targeted
says the rumblings of the upcoming
He said the law might increase
schools are minorities.
limits on affirmative action in California
minority applications, but it won't
The panel says the university must
and Texas are responsible for an overall
increase minority enrollment unless the
focus on educational disadvantages. not
slowing in the growth nationwide of
legislature adds at least $25 million
low income, "to serve the goal of racial
minority students attending college in
annually in student aid for those 16,000
and ethnic diversity" legally in the wake
1995 (ED. May 19).
applicants.
of Proposition 209. It said
The task force report is available at its
"If they can't afford it, they just won't
poor-performing schools are a better
Web
site
at
come." Walker said.
indicator than income of who needs help.
http://www.ucop.edu/acadaff/otf/
He said UT will urge freshmen whom
In its draft report, the task force
coverl.html - Dave Boyer
42
50. Dallas Morning News
May 22, 1997
Senators OK bill tracking colleges' minority enrollees
Officials say falling numbers alarming
By Terrence Stutz / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN - Minority senators won
Mr. Ellis also pointed to expected
Court of Appeals banned affirmative
approval of a bill Wednesday that they
drops in minority enrollment at the
action at the UT law school. Attorney
hope will put the spotlight on declining
University of Texas at Austin, Texas
General Dan Morales has said all state
minority enrollments at leading Texas
A&M University and other leading
universities are bound by the ruling.
universities.
schools.
Mr. Sharlot said the UT law school is
The legislation directs state officials to
He and other minority senators said
"playing under a different set of rules
monitor minority participation at state
that besides the study required in the bill
than Harvard or Yale or Stanford" in
colleges and universities in the wake of a
- which will be conducted by the Texas
trying to attract minorities.
court ruling that scrapped affirmative
Higher Education Coordinating Board
"It is an enormous competitive
action programs in Texas higher
they want U.S. officials to look at the
disadvantage for us. But if we continue
education.
issue of declining minority enrollments
with aggressive recruiting
we might
"This bill will serve as a constant
in Texas schools.
be able to turn this around."
reminder of how quickly the clock is
Tuesday, Gov. George W. Bush
In other action, the Senate sent a bill
being turned back," said Sen. Rodney
signed into law legislation aimed at
to Mr. Bush that would require the Texas
Ellis, D-Houston, sponsor of the
diversifying enrollment in state
Education Agency to develop an
measure. "I hope we can get the public's
universities in the wake of the court
academic skills test for special education
attention. Texas is in for a hell of a rude
ruling. It would require public colleges
students.
awakening."
and universities to guarantee admission
Once the exam is developed, the
The bill must return to the House for
to students who graduate in the top 10
scores will be used in the statewide
consideration of Senate amendments.
percent of their high school classes.
accountability system that annually rates
Mr. Ellis and other minority senators
UT System Chancellor William
the performance of school districts and
said they were alarmed by reports from
Cunningham and UT Law School Dean
campuses.
the University of Texas Law School that
Michael Sharlot met with senators
The Legislature, facing adjournment
only one black student and 14 Hispanics
Wednesday to discuss minority
June 2, acted on a number of fronts
have agreed to enroll for the fall.
enrollment.
Wednesday.
Traditionally, the law school enrolls
"We are committed to doing
Term papers
about 30 to 40 blacks and 50 to 65
everything humanly possible to have a
Selling term papers would become a
Hispanics among the 500 new students
diverse student population at the
crime in Texas, punishable by a fine of
who attend the school each fall.
University of Texas," Mr. Cunningham
up to $500, under a bill the House sent to
UT officials have attributed the drop
told reporters.
Mr. Bush.
in minority enrollment to the court
"We are very disappointed with the
The bill would not impose a penalty
ruling. They also said more minority
numbers. We are doing everything we
on those who buy term papers to pass off
students may decide to attend the law
can to increase the number of minorities
as their own and would not apply to
school as admission has been offered to
and to run a first-class educational
those offering term papers for free.
11 black and 33 Hispanic students.
enterprise."
Sixteen other states have similar laws.
"If UT becomes all white
that
Regarding the threat to seek cuts in
designed to crack down on term paper
doesn't reflect the face of Texas, and we
funding for UT, Mr. Cunningham said,
factories that sell to college students who
ought to send the money where the
"It would be unfair to punish the student
want to pay someone else to do their
people are," he said, suggesting that
body as a whole because of the [court]
work.
future higher education funds be
decision."
The Associated Press contributed to this
redirected to schools that reflect the
That ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit
report.
state's population.
43
51. Dallas Morning News
May 22, 1997
Lone black law enrollee withdraws
Media scrutiny at UT cited in his decision
By Aline McKenzie / The Dallas Morning News
The lone African-American student
were incorrect. "I am utterly and
Hopwood, a white student who with
who had agreed to enter law school at the
profoundly disappointed," he said.
three others sued UT. saying they had
University of Texas at Austin next year
He said he didn't blame the student for
been denied admission on account of
has withdrawn, saying the media
the decision and wouldn't have wanted to
their race.
attention would be too much to take,
be the only black student in a class.
This year, the school considered
officials said Wednesday.
"The state of Texas is going to lose a
undergraduate grades, entrance-exam
The first-year student, whose name
whole generation of talented" young
scores, work experience, socioeconomic
was not released, has instead decided to
minorities who will go to school
background and finances when offering
attend Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.,
elsewhere, he said.
admission and financial aid.
UT admissions director Shelli Soto said.
Dallas City Council member Chris
Gov. George W. Bush signed a bill
"It's a result of all the news that he's
Luna, a 1986 UT law graduate, said,
into law Tuesday that will require
been hearing," she said.
"This confirms my worst fear, which is
universities to take the top 10 students or
UT officials have anticipated a drop in
some of our best and brightest will go
those in the top 25 percent of their high
minority admissions in the
elsewhere. No student will place himself
school classes. After fulfilling those
state-supported school since a court
under a microscope.
academic requirements. universities will
decision last year forbade using race as a
"Law school has enough pressure
then have to consider race-neutral factors
factor in admissions.
without the kind of pressure that's going
such as family background.
Opponents of affirmative action have
to be placed on this student."
One local alumnus said he planned to
said the drop shows how much race had
In addition to the lone black student,
start contacting other law school
unfairly played a role in shaping the
only a dozen Hispanic students have sent
graduates Thursday "to see if there's
student body.
in tuition deposits to secure places in the
anything we can do that would be in the
The drop in minority enrollment at the
fall class.
best interests of the university and the
UT Law School and other state public
In the past, each class of about 500
state."
universities has received widespread
has included about 30 to 40
"I'm thoroughly surprised and
media attention.
African-American students and 50 to 65
disappointed," said William Mahomes
Ms. Soto said that other admission
Hispanics.
Jr., 49, a Dallas attorney who graduated
offers were still pending and would
Mr. Luna said that this situation was
from law school in 1972. "I was shocked
probably not be settled until late June.
"absolutely the fallout from the
by the fact that there was only one
"This is awful; it's tragic," said Dallas
Hopwood decision" and said that he
student [enrolled] and even more so now
Mayor Ron Kirk, a 1979 UT law school
hoped it would "put pressure on judges
that he or she has withdrawn. I didn't
graduate.
and legislators to come up with a fix."
expect this kind of result."
Mr. Kirk said he believes the decision
The Hopwood decision, issued last
Staff writers Jayne Noble Suhler and
by the court and the subsequent
year by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals,
Stephen Power contributed to this
interpretation by the attorney general
is named for lead plaintiff Cheryl
report.
52. The Miami Herald
May 22, 1997
Proposal would end schools' choice of texts
By SABRINA WALTERS
each subject and grade.
teachers to get engaged. That's part of the
Herald Staff Writer
The Dade teachers union opposes
art of teaching."
Dade County School Board members
Perez's plan, saying limiting the choice
Perez, whose proposal is supported by
will be asked today to put public school
would discourage creativity in the
district administrators, says it would save
students on the same page - literally.
classroom.
money and allow students who move
Board Vice Chairman Demetrio Perez
"There are many questions about this
from one school to another to keep up
Jr. is proposing that standard textbooks
concerning academic freedom and
more easily.
be used countywide for each subject at
policies about choice," said Merri Mann,
More than one-third of Dade's
the various grade levels.
director of educational and professional
325,000 public school students
Currently, schools choose from
issues for the United Teachers of Dade.
transferred at least once this school year,
among four state-approved textbooks for
"A single textbook won't allow
according to Marilyn Neff, deputy
Academe Today: News update: - 03
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Academe Today
DAILY NEWS
Front page Today's headlines News Update archive
NEWS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1997
U. of Cal. Told It Can Keep Diversity
by Helping Poor to Prepare for College
Sun
members
By STEPHEN MARTIN
special
The University of California should step up its efforts to help
disadvantaged students in the state prepare for college, a panel of
educators and business leaders recommended Tuesday.
The panel was created in 1995, after the university's Board of
Regents ordered that preferences based on race, ethnicity, or
gender no longer be used in decisions on admissions, hiring, or
contracting. In a report issued Tuesday, the committee outlined a
three-part plan for reaching out to students who have received
inadequate instruction before college. About 80 per cent of those
students are black, Hispanic, or American Indian, according to
the report.
The university, the panel found, could maintain campus diversity
and improve opportunities for minority students by working with
elementary and secondary schools to better train teachers; by
helping to improve students' study skills; and by encouraging
parents to become more involved with their children's schools.
A gap exists between the high standards required for admission to
the university and the academic qualifications of students from
disadvantaged backgrounds, said C. Judson King, the university's
provost and senior vice-president for academic affairs. "This plan
will narrow that gap significantly," he said.
Ward Connerly, who pushed his fellow members of the Board of
Regents to ban racial preferences in the university system, said he
was "supportive" of the panel's findings.
The panel's report is available on the World-Wide Web, at
http://www.ucop.edu/acadaff/otf/cover1.htm
lof2
05/21/97 14:39:39
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Minority gains in college lose steam
DOCUMENT 1 OF 1
USAT9714000078
LIFE
* Minority gains in college lose steam
Mary Beth Marklein
330 Words
2335 Characters
05/19/97
USA Today
FINAL
01D
(Copyright 1997)
*
WASHINGTON -- Minorities continue to make progress in higher
* education, but their enrollment gains have slowed in recent years,
and reversals on affirmative action policies may threaten progress
*
even further, college officials say.
*
Enrollment of minority students in higher education rose 2.9%
between 1994 and 1995, the latest year for which statistics are
* available, says the American Council on Education's (ACE) 15th
*
annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, out today.
That's lower than gains of 4.6% in 1994 and 7.1% in 1992, the
study says.
Some data suggest that efforts by colleges to improve access for
and retention of minorities in the late 1980s and early 1990s have
paid off, but the slowdown in enrollment could be an early warning
* signal of what may lie ahead," says ACE president Stanley
Ikenberry.
Recent affirmative action rollbacks in California and Texas limit
the ability of public institutions to promote diversity in the
* student body, Ikenberry says. And on Wednesday, the University of
California's Boalt Hall law school reported that admission of blacks
dropped 81% for fall and Hispanic admissions fell 50%. This was the
first class to be admitted under the UC system's race-neutral
policies.
*
"We in higher education face a substantial challenge if we are
to ensure that (earlier gains by minorities) are not reversed,"
Ikenberry says.
The report also says minorities posted increases -- at rates far
* higher than those of whites -- in degrees earned in 1995, but again
at rates lower than in 1994. Minorities saw a 9.8% increase in the
number of associate degrees; 9.7% in professional degrees, 8.5% in
bachelor's degrees and 11.1% in master's degrees.
Among 25- to 29-year-old black men, the high school completion
rate increased to 88.1% in 1995, from 82.9% a year earlier, largely
Source: USA Today, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
because of increases in the number earning the GED (General
Educational Development) diploma. The corresponding rate for white
men in 1995 was 86.6%. The rate for Hispanic men, at 55.7%,
declined for the third straight year.
I0601
*
End of documents in list. Press ENTER or enter another command.
Source: USA Today, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
7
would have said that need-based aid was
and co-author of the study. "Somehow,
educational haves and have-nots.
the big trend," says David Breneman,
just being named as scholars, with all the
Some critics also note that having an
dean of the education school at the
prestige and press coverage, students are
abundance of merit scholarships has the
University of Virginia in Charlottesville
more likely to think of themselves as
potential to create a conflict of interest
and a supporter of need-based aid. "But
college material and stick it out."
for colleges during grading periods.
now. need has lost a bit of its panache."
Even before seeing the results. some
Professors may feel pressured by the
The civil rights era of the mid-1960s
states had taken steps to follow Georgia's
administration to give higher grades to
and early '70s was a heyday for
lead and create HOPE programs of their
borderline students, critics say. just to
need-based college aid, and federal
own. Florida created a college-tuition
keep state and federal aid dollars rolling
programs grew exponentially. Last year,
program for B students last year: Virginia
in.
state and federal governments and private
passed a similar program this year. Five
Initial results from Georgia. however.
institutions gave out a total of $50 billion
other states have considered HOPE-like
indicate that grade inflation may not be a
in college aid - nearly $35 billion of it
programs this year.
significant problem. With only 55
earmarked for poor students.
There's no sign yet that state merit
percent of the HOPE recipients still
The merits of merit
scholarships have taken tuition money
maintaining a B average after two years.
But in recent years, this need-based
away from need-based programs. Many
there's a pretty big dropout rate. notes Dr.
aid has come under increasing attack.
of the new scholarships rely on state
Bugler. "There are so many students who
Conservatives and moderates argue that
lottery proceeds or other sources of
drop below the required 3.0 average that
students should get aid the old-fashioned
revenue.
I suspect grade inflation is not the
way - by earning it.
But some critics worry that higher
problem that it could be."
This viewpoint now may be gaining
education may once again be becoming a
Merit scholarships could also have an
more widespread acceptance. A recent
bastion of the privileged few especially
inflationary impact on college tuitions,
study indicates that merit scholarships
once the idea becomes ingrained at the
some say. "When you give a broad-based
may have a positive impact on student
federal level, as now appears likely given
subsidy to a lot of students, nobody's
performance.
the White House-congressional budget
going to let the families hold onto it,"
In the first academic study of its kind,
deal.
says Dr. Breneman.
researchers at Georgia State University
An education gap?
From an economic standpoint. "you
tracked the recipients of Georgia's HOPE
"In the world of limited government
get more enrollment per dollar with need
scholarships,
which
provide
resources, I'm concerned that merit-based
than with merit. Without [need-based
public-college tuition to students who
aid will be a substitute for need-based
financial aid], some kids wouldn't be
maintain a 3.0 grade-point average. The
aid, rather than a supplement," says
there" at college, he says. As for
study found that HOPE students tended
Jamie Merisotis, director of the Institute
middle-class students, merit scholarships
to get better grades, take more classes,
for Higher Education Policy, a
"might influence where they go."
and were more likely to complete college
Washington think tank. Historically,
whether prestigious Duke University or a
than a matched sample of students who
affluent students tend to perform better in
school that is a bit less expensive.
didn't receive aid.
school than poor students, and the danger
"But basically these are kids who are
"Basically, it comes down to
of a strict merit-based system is that it
likely to go to college anyway."
rewarding behavior," says Daniel Bugler,
could widen the gap between the
Breneman says.
a researcher at Georgia State University
4. The New York Times.
05/19/97; Edition: Late Edition - Final; Section: Section B; National Desk; Page 8, Column 4
College Minority Enrollment Slowed in 1995
By KAREN W. ARENSON
the trends in the wrong direction," said
increase in overall minority enrollment in
Several years of rapid gains in the
Stanley O. Ikenberry, the president of the
1995, the most recent year for which data
college enrollment of minority students
council.
were available. In 1994, the gain was 4.6
gave way to more subdued growth in
TD
Gary Orfield, a desegregation
percent, and in 1993. 7.1 percent.
1995. according to a report to be released
expert at the School of Education and the
African-American enrollments were
today by the American Council on
Kennedy School of Government at
up 1.7 percent in 1995 over 1994. to 1.5
Education in Washington.
Harvard University, saw a special
million. Hispanic enrollments grew 4.6
Education officials worry that the
significance in the report's findings.
percent to 1.1 million. Asian-American
slowdown will turn into an actual decline
"To see the enrollment rates slowing
enrollment rose 3 percent. to 797.000
after recent cuts in affirmative action
even before those policy changes occur
students. And American Indian
programs in Texas and California.
suggests how incredibly high the stakes
enrollment was up 3.1 percent to
"Our primary concern is that the
are in the reversal of affirmative action,"
131,000. Total enrollment at colleges
trends continue in the right direction, and
Mr. Orfield said.
was 14.3 million.
that the current turbulence over
The council's study. "The 15th Annual
The study did not address why
affirmative action in Texas and
Status Report on Minorities in Higher
minority enrollments had slowed, but
California does not create a stall or send
Education." showed a 2.9 percent
educators said a stronger economy and
8
greater ease in finding jobs might have
though it has fluctuated in the 20-year
Deborah Carter, associate director of
diverted some prospective students from
period.
the council's Office of Minorities in
college. They also cited higher tuitions
The number of black college students
Higher Education and a co-author, with
and cuts in financial aid as possible
is at an all-time high. but William H.
Reginald Wilson, of the study, pointed
obstacles. Donald Stewart, the president
Gray 3d. the president of the United
out that Hispanic students who complete
of the College Board. which administers
Negro College Fund. said this was not
high school enroll in college in similar
many college and graduate school
good enough. The percentage of blacks
proportions to black students - - about 35
entrance tests, said some college officials
in college, Mr. Gray said, should match
percent.
expected a drop this fall in minority
the level for all students. The report said
"Much more attention has to be paid
enrollment, particularly by black and
that 42 percent of all-18- to 24-year-olds
to this issue," Ms. Carter said. "By 2015,
Hispanic students in the West. Fewer
were in college in 1995.
the Hispanic population will be the
minority students applied to public
Officials at the American Council on
largest ethnic minority in the United
universities in Texas and California this
Education. an umbrella organization for
States. Not to attend to this issue would
spring, although those states have not
the nation's colleges, universities and
be a major travesty in terms of providing
fully imposed the cuts in affirmative
other education associations, said their
equal educational opportunity."
action.
research had highlighted a variety of
The council's report also highlighted
"It's not because of changes in
problems.
problems among some Asian-American
admissions policies. but because of fears
One was the low high school
groups. Over all, 55 percent of
of changes in policies," Mr. Stewart said.
graduation rates of Hispanic students.
Asian-Americans from 18 to 24 years old
In 1995. the latest year for which the
were enrolled in college. But among
The study made clear that while
council had data, fewer than 60 percent
subgroups, the figures ranged from a
college enrollment by white high school
of Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds had
high of 66 percent of Chinese-Americans
graduates had climbed significantly in 20
completed high school or earned an
to a low of 26 percent of
years to 43 percent in 1995, up from
equivalent degree, significantly less than
Laotian-Americans.
32 percent in 1975 - there was little or
the 77 percent rate for African-American
"The Laotians, Cambodians and some
no improvement among minority groups.
students and the 82 percent rate for
Vietnamese and Filipino immigrants
whites.
have some major hurdles in terms of
Slightly more than 35 percent of black
"You can't make progress in opening
language skills," Ms. Carter said, "and
high school graduates from 18 to 24
education opportunities in higher
demonstrate some of the same at-risk
years old were enrolled in college in
education if they are not graduating from
characteristics that other low-income
1995. three percentage points above the
high school," said Mr. Ikenberry, the
students face."
level in 1975. The rate for Hispanic
council's president.
04:30 EDT May 19, 1997
graduates was 35 percent in both years,
5. The New York Times
05/19/97; Edition: Late Edition Final; Section: Section A; National Desk; Page 12. Column 5
Tenure Denial to a Woman Puts Harvard in an Uproar
Rejection From Leader Who Vows Diversity
By SARA RIMER
toward affirmative action at a time when
Neil's statements about diversity, and the
CAMBRIDGE. Mass., May 18 - The
he has proclaimed the hiring of more
leadership he is taking on diversity."
denial of tenure to a brilliant young
tenured female faculty members to be
Mary C. Waters, a professor of
scholar at Harvard University is hardly a
one of his top priorities. The uproar.
sociology, said in an interview. "That's
rare event. Indeed, decisions over tenure
which has been front-page news in The
why it's such a complex issue. Here
- the academic prize that confers a job
Harvard Crimson and the talk of faculty
you've got this real liberal guy who says
for life - are often contentious, with all
meetings and dinners, provides a rare
all the right things. And this case comes
the political intrigue of, say, a White
window into the byzantine tenure process
up that's just so perplexing."
House Cabinet appointment.
at one of the world's most prestigious
The centerpiece of the protest. itself
But the decision last month by
universities.
the subject of as much talk on campus as
Harvard's president. Neil L. Rudenstine,
Professor Honig, who has published
the president's decision. is a letter that 15
to deny tenure to a rising star in the
two books, with the manuscript for a
of the most senior and distinguished
faculty of arts and sciences - Bonnie
third recently accepted by Princeton
women on the faculty sent to Mr.
Honig. 37. an associate professor of
University Press. had cleared all the
Rudenstine asking him to reconsider and
political theory - has led to a firestorm
tenure hurdles save one: winning Mr.
questioning his commitment to
of speculation and protest the likes of
Rudenstine's approval. His decision,
affirmative action.
which has not been seen here in recent
amid his administration's drumbeat for
At Harvard, where the senior faculty
history.
affirmative action. has mystified faculty
women are not known for their militance.
Mr. Rudenstine's decision has raised
members and students.
where even tenured faculty members.
sensitive questions over his attitude
"I am personally very pleased with
men and women, are reluctant to criticize
12
10. Detroit Free Press
May 19, 1997
Minority growth slows on campus
BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI AND MARYANNE GEORGE Free Press Staff Writers
The doors to higher education pushed
number of black students admitted to
But Matlock said affirmative action
open by students of color in recent years
U-C's Boalt Hall law school has fallen 81
probably isn't the only factor in the overall
are closing a crack - a trend that warns
percent and the number of Hispanics, 50
enrollment slowdown. More students
of worse setbacks if attacks on affirmative
percent.
choose work over. college when the
action continue, the coauthor of a new
And in Texas, colleges have been
economy is good, he said, and college costs
national report says.
barred from considering race in admissions
are rising.
College enrollment of minority students
after a 1996 ruling by the U.S. Circuit
"But I don't want to discount the assault
in the United States rose 2.9 percent
Court of Appeals.
in terms of affirmative action nationwide,"
between 1994 and 1995, the latest year for
As a result, "the number of minority
he said Friday. "I think it does have a a
which data was available. That was down
applicants to the University of Texas
chilling effect on students in terms of
from 4.6 percent the previous year and 7.1
declined precipitously," Wilson said.
where they go to college."
percent in 1992, according to the 15th
Overall in recent years, black students
The controversy swirls around what is
Annual Status Report on Minorities in
recorded the smallest enrollment gains of
fair in choosing among applicants.
Higher Education released today by the
all minority groups nationally, the ACE
Affirmative action critics maintain all
American Council on Education in
report said.
applicants should be evaluated equally.
Washington, D.C.
Since 1990, black students' college
Advocates say some students need special
Minority students also posted smaller
enrollment rose by 18.2 percent, compared
consideration.
gains in college degrees earned between
with a 39.6-percent jump for Hispanics,
Colleges and universities have
1994 and 1995, the report said.
39.2 percent for Asian Americans and 27.5
traditionally used more than grades and test
"That slowing down is coming at a time
percent for American Indians.
scores in selecting students, Tom Healey,
when minorities are growing in the
The ACE report does not include a
WSU's director of strategic planning, said
population, so it's paradoxical," Reginald
state-by-state analysis, but like their
Friday.
Wilson, the coauthor of the report, said
counterparts elsewhere, students of color
This year, U-M officials extended the
Friday. "We suspect this is due to the
in Michigan have had steady enrollment
deadline for high-ability applicants to file
strong attack on affirmative action that has
gains in raw numbers.
the personal essays that are part of the
been happening and is growing."
In fall 1991, for example, they
application process. But minority students
Educators said the recent
comprised 18.7 percent of 262,246
in the group were allowed to have slightly
anti-affirmative action moves follow years
students enrolled in 15 public universities.
lower test scores than other students.
of increased animosity toward the
By fall 1995, it was 20.4 percent of
Lee Bollinger, who became U-M
programs.
258,996 students, the latest statistics
president Feb. 1, after the deadline was
In Michigan, a bill sponsored by state
available from the Presidents Council of
extended, said he would not have approved
Rep. Penny Crissman, R-Rochester, would
the state universities.
it on that basis.
stop community colleges from race
But the rate of the gains appears to be
"It would be better to extend the
norming, or adjusting test scores to
stalling. At the University of Michigan, for
deadline for all applications," he said
account for social and economic factors,
example, minority enrollment rose 6.8
Friday.
and using preferential treatment in
percent in 1992, 1.2 percent in 1995 and
U-M officials say race is one of many
employment, promotions and contract
0.7 percent in 1996.
factors considered in admissions and
awards.
Wayne State University, which draws a
defend the university's policies as legal and
Two weeks ago, four Republican state
significant percentage of students from
constitutional.
legislators promised to mount a legal
predominantly black Detroit, saw a
But their view has been challenged by
challenge to affirmative action policies at
6-percent dip in minority enrollments in
one of their own, philosophy professor
the University of Michigan. Reps. David
1994 and again in 1996. But black
Carl Cohen. He said his analysis of
Jaye of Washington Township, Deborah
students have remained 21 percent to 23
applicants with similar test scores and
Whyman of Canton Township, Michelle
percent of WSU's overall enrollment.
grade point averages in 1994 shows that
McManus of Lake Leelanau and Greg
"Given all the negative publicity around
minorities were more likely to be accepted
Kaza of Rochester Hills said they were
affirmative action and affirmative action
at U-M and its law school than others.
seeking potential plaintiffs for a lawsuit.
issues, I think a lot of minority students
"You cannot explain the evident
In California, voters last year passed
will say, I don't want to be bothered with
preference given to minorities based on"
Proposition 209, prohibiting gender and
this - who wants the hassle?' said John
factors such as athletic or musical ability or
race discrimination in education, hiring and
Matlock, U-M vice provost and director of
contributions to society, Cohen said Friday.
contracting.
the office of academic multicultural
"Race and ethnicity are the principal
Subsequently, the regents of the
initiatives.
factors used at U-M," he said.
University of California voted to end
Enrollments at historically black
Bollinger said declining minority
affirmative action in admissions, effective
colleges and universities are rising, he
enrollment in California and Texas
this year. One recently reported result: The
noted.
"contradicts the assumption of many that
13
diversity can be achieved without paying
U-M's Matlock said the Census Bureau
"We have to continue to open doors for
attention to race and ethnicity in
predicts minorities will make up almost
8 variety of students. I think that it's in the
admissions."
half the U.S. population by the year 2050.
national interest," Matlock said.
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Minority Admissions Fall With Preferences Ban;
DOCUMENT 3 OF 3
WP9713900061
A Section
*
Minority Admissions Fall With Preferences Ban; Steep Declines at Two
States' Flagship Universities Raise Alarm on Campuses Nationwide
Rene Sanchez and Sue Anne Pressley
Washington Post Staff Writers
1643 Words
10742 Characters
05/19/97
The Washington Post
FINAL
A01
Copyright 1997, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved
Two of the nation's largest and most prestigious public
universities are reporting a substantial decline in the number of
minorities they are admitting in the first classes after the schools
were barred from using race as a factor in picking students.
At both the University of California and the University of
Texas, the effect of landmark new prohibitions on racial preferences
has been swift and dramatic, and it is raising alarm on campuses
nationwide about the consequences of losing affirmative action. At
UCLA's law school, 21 black students have been selected for next
fall's class -- an 80 percent drop from last year and the lowest
number of African Americans offered admission since about 1970. At the
UC-Berkeley law school, 14 blacks have been accepted in a class of
792, down from 75 last year. The decline among Hispanic students at
each law school is similar. Graduate programs at the University of
California were the first to be affected by the new race-neutral
policy ordered by university regents.
The same patterns also are emerging at the University of Texas
flagship campus in Austin -- where graduate and undergraduate programs
were subject to new policies this year. Ten black students -- compared
with 65 last year -- have been admitted for the fall to the law
school, and nearly 400 fewer black and Hispanic students have been
offered admission as undergraduates, a 20 percent decline. Meanwhile,
the number of white and Asian American students being admitted at
campuses in each state has risen sharply this spring.
"We're very distressed -- it's a huge drop," said Michael
Rappaport, the dean of admissions at UCLA's law school. "And it's even
worse than it appears because we'll be lucky to get even half of those
students to come to the campuses."
Source: Washington Post, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Critics of affirmative action, however, called the new declines
a sign of how much colleges have relied on double standards to boost
*
minority enrollment. "This should be a wake-up call for all schools,"
said Abigail Thernstrom, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a
conservative think tank. "These numbers tell us that with affirmative
*
action policies, too many minority students who are not meeting
standards are still being admitted."
Across the nation, university leaders are closely watching
enrollment trends in California and Texas because public campuses
there are the first sites under orders to dismantle affirmative action
policies that have been in place for decades. Recent attempts in other
states to enact similar bans have been blocked, but the issue has
become one of the most contentious in higher education as affirmative
action opponents continue to push their cause. Already, some
*
universities are revamping admission policies and expanding minority
outreach programs to try to maintain student diversity even if forced
to stop using racial preferences.
Colleges and universities have been reluctant to discuss
precisely how they use race as a factor in admissions. Critics charge
that some universities essentially have two sets of admissions pools,
one for minorities and one for whites.
In a study released today, the American Council on Education,
which represents more than 1,300 colleges and universities, reports
*
that even with affirmative action minority enrollment on campuses
nationally is not growing as much as it was earlier this decade. It
grew less than 3 percent last year, compared with 7 percent in 1992.
*
Stanley Ikenberry, the council's president, called the findings
"an early warning signal" for colleges trying to preserve or improve
*
minority enrollment -- especially if the ban on racial preferences in
California and Texas were to spread.
"We in higher education face a substantial challenge if we are
*
to ensure that these gains are not reversed," Ikenberry said.
Texas and California are in unique positions. In 1995, the
University of California system's Board of Regents voted to drop race
as a factor in admissions. The new policy takes effect with graduate
students this fall and will affect undergraduate students beginning
next year. Meanwhile, the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals, ruling in a case
brought by a few white students denied entry to the University of
Texas law school, last year barred public colleges in that state from
considering the race of prospective students.
In the rest of the nation, public universities still adhere to
a 1978 Supreme Court decision that allows them to use affirmative
action in some circumstances in admissions and hiring. But campaigns
to stop the use of racial preferences on campuses -- in some cases
modeled after the examples set in California and Texas -- are growing
nationwide.
Source: Washington Post, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
"People on both sides of the civil rights battle believe there
is a rollback afoot -- some are cheering and others are crying -- and
affirmative action is the leading edge of that rollback," said
Christopher Edley Jr., a Harvard law professor who has served as an
adviser on affirmative action to President Clinton.
In Texas, the question of how to maintain and expand racial
diversity on college campuses is an urgent problem. Minorities are
already underrepresented on campuses in proportion to the size of
their population statewide. The federal court decision -- commonly
known as the Hopwood case after the last name of one of the white
students who filed the lawsuit -- has left state and university
officials struggling to adhere to it while not losing ground they have
gained in student diversity in the last few decades.
But already there are signs that the Hopwood case may be
* discouraging minority students from applying to Texas campuses -- a
trend also evident in California.
At the University of Texas law school, the flash point of the
affirmative action debate, applications from black students fell 42
percent this year. Among undergraduates, applications from blacks
declined by 26 percent and applications from Hispanics by 23 percent.
Similar patterns are apparent at Texas A&M, the nation's third-largest
university with 42,000 students. Freshman applications from blacks
dropped 13 percent there this year, and from Hispanics by 9 percent.
Those changes are alarming faculty. Patrick Woolley, one of two
black professors at the University of Texas law school, said that he
fears he may gaze across his first-year classes next fall and see
virtually nothing but white faces.
"I'm concerned we're moving toward the resegregation of the law
school," Woolley said. "Certainly even with affirmative action, no law
school class has ever been brimming over with African Americans or
Hispanics."
Some Texas officials are rushing to stop the decline by
changing the emphasis in admission and financial aid procedures. Last
week, the state Senate approved a bill requiring Texas colleges and
universities to admit applicants who graduated in either the top 10
percent or top 25 percent of their classes. After that, officials
would have to consider such race-neutral factors as economic status
and family background.
In California, UC-Berkeley and other campuses are bolstering
programs aimed at recruiting minorities and improving the academic
qualifications of those who apply. Across the state, for example, only
5 percent of black graduates from public schools, and only 4 percent
of Hispanic students, meet the university's admissions standards. That
compares with 13 percent of whites.
In addition to programs that would boost minorities' academic
qualifications, campus officials also are trying to put more emphasis
Source: Washington Post, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
in their admissions criteria on the economic background of students.
Some advocates of affirmative action have expressed hope that
doing that might be a subtle way to comply with the regents' order and
maintain racial diversity. But the new admissions numbers for UC law
schools suggest that the task may be much harder.
"We're seeing that trying to rely more in admissions on the
disadvantaged background of a student simply won't cover it," UCLA's
Rappaport said.
In the past, the University of Texas had in place a system that
some say went too far in using race as a factor for admission. Beyond
the consideration of grades and Law School Aptitude Test scores,
different standards and lower cutoff points were used for blacks and
Hispanics; in effect, applications from those students were placed in
separate stacks. Terry Pell, an attorney with the D.C.-based Center
for Individual Rights who represented Cheryl Hopwood, said the system
was unfairly biased against her.
"She was somebody who came from a difficult background," he
said. "She was married, she had two children, she worked extremely
hard to get an undergraduate degree.
If you were were looking
for a student who had overcome a lot of adversity, she was it. Yet,
she was turned down, solely because she was the wrong skin color."
Still, UT officials say that being unable to use race as even a
minor factor in the admissions process could keep the number of
* minority students who are accepted lower than it has been in many
years.
"The effect is going to be devastating," said Michael Sharlot,
dean of the UT law school. "It is tragic because as one of the leading
law schools in the nation, we have been enormously successful in terms
of the numbers of African American and Mexican American lawyers we
produced. This school has 650 African American alumni and 1,350
Mexican American alumni, and there is no law school in the country
that has produced anywhere near as many Mexican American lawyers."
Ramiro Canales, a former migrant worker who just completed his
second year of law school and is president-elect of the
Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association, said he fears that now
"many Hispanic students are afraid. They are not applying here because
they perceive the school to be racially hostile and that they can't
compete."
Another student, Kyron Hayes, president of the Thurgood
Marshall Legal Society, the association for black law students at UT,
said, "It does seem like a step backward, maybe not in race relations
* but in minority opportunity. It may make other black students think no
one wants them here, and that's just not true."
http://www.washingtonpost.com
Source: Washington Post, May 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 4
(05/19/97)-GROWTH IN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT FOR
GROWTH IN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT FOR MINORITIES
SLOWS
Although the number of minority students pursuing higher
education grew 2.9 percent from 1994 to 1995, that pace is
well below enrollment advances in prior years, says a study
being released today by the American Council on Education
(ACE).
Minority enrollment had grown 7.1 percent from 1992 to 1993,
and slowed to 4.6 percent from 1993 to 1994 (ED, June 10,
1996).
Overall higher education enrollment is down, the study says,
because of lower numbers of college-age white students.
The study's authors attribute minorities' slower growth to
statewide efforts in California to eliminate affirmative
action and a court decision in Texas banning the use of race
in admissions policies (ED, April 11). Both started in
1994, around the time ACE's enrollment data was collected.
"It's difficult for us to know how the rollback in
affirmative action will work," said Deborah Carter, one of
the study's authors and ACE's associate director for
minority education.
ACE, however, says minority recruitment and retention
programs over the past 15 years have paid off, increasing
the number of students earning degrees.
In 1994, 16.8 percent of all bachelor's degrees were awarded
1 of 2
05/21/97 15:45:49
(05/19/97)-GROWTH IN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT FOR MINOREcom/plweb-cg/idocp175236.uz426and426minonity26enroilment426729426
to minority students, up 1.2 percentage points from the
previous year. The number of doctoral degrees awarded to
minorities increased by 13.6 percent between 1994 and 1995,
and by 67 percent since 1985.
Despite growing numbers of minorities in higher education,
more attention needs to be paid to the diverse needs of
Asian-Americans, says a supplement included in the ACE
study.
"We're often treated as one lump sum and that's not the
case," said Kenyon Chan, chairman of the Asian American
Studies Department at California State University at
Northridge, who prepared part of the supplement.
"Minorities In Higher Education 1996-97" is $24.95 from
American Council on Education, Publications Department M, 1
Dupont Circle NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202)939-9380. --
Rebecca S. Weiner
file_id=3096_0004
3096
19970519
2 of 2
05/21/97 15:45:49
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Many American blacks who
DOCUMENT 7 OF 12
ASP9714000317
WASHINGTON (AP) - Many American blacks who quit high school are
348 Words
Also ran in
2473 Characters
Chicago Tribune
05/18/97
The Associated Press
Bretomne tun
WASHINGTON
(Copyright 1997. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Many American blacks who quit high school are
finding ways to complete it by their late 20s, thus narrowing the
black-white graduation gap, according to 1995 data released Sunday.
*
The report by the American Council on Education said blacks and
whites aged 25 to 29 had almost the same rate of high school
completion, about 87 percent, in 1995. In the younger age group, 18
to 24, the gap was wider.
The report said the gap may have closed because of the greater
number of black people finishing high school requirements later in
life through equivalency examinations. Just 10 years earlier, blacks
had an 81 percent graduation rate, compared with 87 percent for
whites.
Nonetheless, the council's analysis of census data showed that
blacks and Hispanics finish college at a far lower rate than whites,
and the rate of enrollment increases is slowing.
Hispanics also fell behind whites and blacks in finishing high
school, with a rate of 57 percent.
The council, an umbrella group for colleges, universities and
educational associations, included the figures in its 15th annual
report on "Minorities in Higher Education." The report included
figures on educational attainment for the first time this year.
Looking at college attainment, the report said that 26 percent of
whites 25 to 29 had finished at least four years of college in 1995.
For blacks, the rate was 15 percent. The percentages were the
highest recorded for both groups since 1975. The rate of almost 9
percent for Hispanics was lower than in the 1980s.
A special section on Asian-Pacific Americans sought to dispel the
* myth of their being a "model minority."
Students from that group "are perceived as well-behaved, diligent
high achievers who persevere and are educationally successful despite
socioeconomic and linguistic obstacles," the report said.
It said, however, the stereotype conceals a wide range of
educational experiences. The report noted the lack of even a
Source: Associated Press, May 18, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
fifth-grade education in 1990 for large numbers of some groups, such
as Hmong, Cambodians and Laotians.
College participation ranged from 66 percent for Chinese-Americans
to 26 percent for Laotian-Americans.
I0607
*
End of document.
Source: Associated Press, May 18, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
74
restitution. San Diego's STAR (Sports
Why not some significant federal
Another is to recognize that these kids
Training, Academics, and Recreation)
encouragement for these kinds of
can be reached before crime becomes
program recruits police, firefighters, and
anticrime efforts?
ingrained.
other adult volunteers to give kids
One response to predictions of a
These aren't either/or options. Some of
after-school tutoring and athletic
coming increase in youth crime is to
the former may be wise. To neglect the
instruction.
simply get the courts and prisons ready.
latter is foolish.
88. Christian Science Monitor
05/16/97; Edition: ALL 05/16/97; Section: UNITED STATES; Page 1
College Minority Admissions Drop: Effect of
affirmative-action rollback even greater than expected
By Daniel Sneider
Terry Pell, a spokesman for the
reduce minority entrants nationwide.
Staff writer of The Christian Science
Washington-based Center for Individual
Author Linda Wightman, a former
Monitor
Rights.
official at the Law School Admissions
Both supporters and foes of affirmative
Officials of the University of
Council, estimates that of the 3.485
action have long argued that the
California law schools, who had strongly
blacks accepted by more than 160 law
imposition of race-blind university
opposed the decision to end affirmative
schools, only 687 would have been
admission policies would alter the look
action, decried the move on Wednesday,
admitted based on tests and grades.
of American campuses. Now the first
when the numbers were released.
But such test scores are not an
evidence is in, and the results are even
"This dramatic decline in the number
accurate measure of how well these
more dramatic than many predicted.
of offers of admission made to non-Asian
students will do, argues the ACLU's Mr.
The admission of the first
minority applications is precisely what
Rosenbaum. Minorities admitted under
post-affirmative-action classes. at
we feared would result from the
the affirmative-action criteria did equally
prestigious law schools in California and
elimination of affirmative action," says
well when it came to graduation and
Texas shows a steep decline in the
Herma Hill Kay, dean of the University
passage of bar exams, the same study
number of minority students. In fact, the
of California, Berkeley, law school.
found.
number of African-Americans offered
The loss of racial and ethnic diversity
And contrary to the criticism. the two
admission in law schools at the
is undeniable. Compared with 1996
California schools did make changes in
University of California at Los Angeles
admissions, UCLA has admitted 80
their admissions policies in an attempt to
and Berkeley dropped by 80 percent.
percent fewer blacks, 32 percent fewer
create diversity based on nonracial
The numbers are intensifying the
Hispanics, and 60 percent fewer native
criteria. UCLA tried to use economic and
debate over the movement to roll back
Americans, while admissions of whites
social deprivation as factors, believing
race- and gender-based preferences
and Asians is rising. At Berkeley's Boalt
this would help minority students.
nationwide.
Hall, which boasted one of the most
Instead it yielded more admissions of
University of California graduate
diverse student bodies of top law schools,
poor whites and immigrants from places
schools are the first to carry out a
minority admissions have dropped from
like Russia and Vietnam. It also led to
1985 decision by the state Board of
20 percent to 7 percent. These results are
the turning down of blacks and Latinos
Regents to ban affirmative action in
mirrored at the University of Texas law
who had good numbers but were from
admissions. Last fall California voters
school, which stopped using race-based
wealthier families. "We have a very
passed Proposition 209, barring such
criteria following a federal court decision
diverse class but not the same diversity."
policies in public higher education,
last year.
says Michael Rappaport, dean of
employment, and business contracting.
Critics blame the schools for failing to
admissions at the UCLA law school.
The California measure is now a model
develop alternatives to race in admissions
Anticipating that result, Berkeley tried
for similar moves in other states and in
criteria and having to rely solely on
to reduce the weight given to test scores
Congress.
grades and scores in the law-school
and to expand the importance of personal
"This is what a 209 world is going to
admissions test. "They've been using
histories. But this produced results only
look like - a legal profession with
racial set-asides all along, and racial
slightly better than looking purely at the
virtually no representation for the
set-asides bring in large numbers of
numbers, says dean Kay.
African-American, Latino, and native
minority students who would not
University officials are worried not
American communities," says Mark
otherwise be admitted under a
only by the lower admissions numbers
Rosenbaum of the American Civil
numbers-only admissions approach,"
but also by a drop in minority applicants.
Liberties Union of Southern California
says Mr. Pell.
a phenomenon visible also at the
and a 209 critic.
Law schools, unlike many other
University of Texas. Moreover, minority
While not cheering the lack of
graduate disciplines, rely heavily on test
students are being more aggressively
diversity, opponents of affirmative action
scores and grades. According to a.
recruited by out-of-state and private
see the statistics as proof of how
recently published study of law-school
universities than can offer
pervasive race was in past admissions.
applications, a solely numbers-based
affirmative-action-based aid and other
"It's an utterly predictable result," says
admissions policy would substantially
incentives.
21
21. The Baltimore Sun
May 16, 1997
Census Bureau weighs adding a `multiracial' category
Some Asians, Alaskans prefer it, survey finds
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - Letting people
Islander as a'single race, bureau said. The
and it might interfere with efforts to track
call themselves multiracial reduces the
same happened when the option of "mark
minorities and prevent discrimination.
number who consider themselves
all that apply" was offered and several
The census test was intended to gauge
Alaskan or Asian but doesn't seem to
racial categories were presented rather
the effect of various options on how
change the number of blacks, whites or
than asking people to pick just one.
people reported themselves.
American Indians, the Census Bureau has
But neither option affected the
Other findings of the test included:
found.
number of people reporting themselves
Substituting "native Hawaiian" for
As mixed-race families become more
solely as black, white or American
"Hawaiian" increased the number of
common, the government is considering
Indian.
people picking that category.
adding the option of "multiracial" to the
A group of households made up
Giving people a choice between
current race categories on federal forms.
largely of American Indians and Alaskan
"Guamian" and "Guamian or Chamorro"
The Census Bureau estimated that the
natives showed mixed results. Including
made no difference in the number
number of children in mixed-race
the multiracial choice reduced the
selecting that category.
families jumped from fewer than 500,000
number picking Alaska native, but had
Spelling out "American Indian"
to 2 million between 1970 and 1990.
no effect on the American Indian total.
instead of using "Indian (Amer) or
The final decision on whether to add
The question of if, and how, to add a
Alaska native" had no effect on the
the new category will be made by the
multiracial choice to government
number checking that group.
Office of Management and Budget, but
statistics is sensitive. An individual with
Placing a question on whether a
the Census Bureau reported yesterday on
parents from different categories may not
respondent is of Hispanic origin before
the results of a complex test of various
wish to choose one parental identity over
the question of race increased the number
reporting options among 112,000
the other.
who answered the Hispanic question.
households.
But simply adding a "multiracial"
People of Hispanic background can be of
Adding the multiracial category
category could cause problems in
any race.
reduced the reporting of Asian or Pacific
comparing current and older statistics,
22. Christian Science Monitor
May 16, 1997
College Minority Admissions Drop
Daniel Sneider. Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
SAN FRANCISCO
-
Both
race- and gender-based preferences
and a 209 critic.
supporters and foes of affirmative action
nationwide.
While not cheering the lack of
have long argued that the imposition of
University of California graduate
diversity, opponents of affirmative action
race-blind university admission policies
schools are the first to carry out a 1985
see the statistics as proof of how
would alter the look of American
decision by the state Board of Regents to
pervasive race was in past admissions.
campuses. Now the first evidence is in,
ban affirmative action in admissions.
"It's an utterly predictable result." says
and the results are even more dramatic
Last fall California voters passed
Terry Pell, a spokesman for the
than many predicted.
Proposition-20 barring such policies in
Washington-based Center for Individual
The admission of the first
public higher education, employment,
Rights.
post-affirmative-action classes at
and business contracting. The California
Officials of the University of
prestigious law schools in California and
measure is now a model for similar
California law schools, who had strongly
Texas shows a steep decline in the
moves in other states and in Congress.
opposed the decision to end affirmative
number of minority students. In.fact, the
"This is what a 209 world is going to
action, decried the move on Wednesday,
number of African-Americans offered
look like a legal profession with
when the numbers were released.
admission in law schools at the
virtually no representation for the
"This dramatic decline in the number
University of California at Los Angeles
African-American, Latino, and native
of offers of admission made to non-Asian
and Berkeley dropped by 80 percent.
American communities," says Mark
minority applications is precisely what
The numbers are intensifying the
Rosenbaum of the American Civil
we feared would result from the
debate over the movement to roll back
Liberties Union of Southern California
elimination of affirmative action," says
22
Herma Hill Kay, dean of the University
graduate disciplines. rely heavily on test
the turning down of blacks and Latinos
of California. Berkeley, law school.
scores and grades. According to a
who had good numbers but were from
The loss of racial and ethnic diversity
recently published study of law-school
wealthier families. "We have a very
is undeniable. Compared with 1996
applications. a solely numbers-based
diverse class but not the same diversity."
admissions, UCLA has admitted 80
admissions policy would substantially
says Michael Rappaport, dean of
percent fewer blacks, 32 percent fewer
reduce minority entrants nationwide.
admissions at the UCLA law school.
Hispanics. and 60 percent fewer native
Author Linda Wightman. a former
Anticipating that result. Berkeley tried
Americans, while admissions of whites
official at the Law School Admissions
to reduce the weight given to test scores
and Asians is rising. At Berkeley's Boalt
Council. estimates that of the 3,485
and to expand the importance of personal
Hall, which boasted one of the most
blacks accepted by more than 160 law
histories. But this produced results only
diverse student bodies of top law
schools, only 687 would have been
slightly better than looking purely at the
schools. minority admissions have
admitted based on tests and grades.
numbers, says dean Kay.
dropped from 20 percent to 7 percent.
But such test scores are not an
University officials are worried not
These results are mirrored at the
accurate measure of how well these
only by the lower admissions numbers
University of Texas law school, which
students will do, argues the ACLU's Mr.
but also by a drop in minority applicants.
stopped using race-based criteria
Rosenbaum. Minorities admitted under
a phenomenon visible also at the
following a federal court decision last
the affirmative-action criteria did equally
University of Texas. Moreover. minority
year.
well when it came to graduation and
students are being more aggressively
Critics blame the schools for failing to
passage of bar exams, the same study
recruited by out-of-state and private
develop alternatives to race in admissions
found.
universities than can offer
criteria and having to rely solely on
And contrary to the criticism, the two
affirmative-action-based aid and other
grades and scores in the law-school
California schools did make changes in
incentives.
admissions test. "They've been using
their admissions policies in an attempt to
The problem may be compounded in
racial set-asides all along, and racial
create diversity based on nonracial
the fall as minorities who are admitted
set-asides bring in large numbers of
criteria. UCLA to use economic and
choose to go elsewhere. "The numbers
minority students who would not
social deprivation as factors, believing
will not encourage minority students to
otherwise be admitted under a
this would help minority students.
come to a place where there are few
numbers-only admissions approach,"
Instead it yielded more admissions of
students like themselves," says Mr.
says Mr. Pell.
poor whites and immigrants from places
Kay
Law schools, unlike many other
like Russia and Vietnam. It also led to
23. The Financial Times
Qualification for headteachers launched
By Simon Targett
guaranteed funding totalling GBP 30m if
headteachers, will be able to complete the
Education Correspondent
the programme is to function properly.
qualification in one year, depending on
A new professional qualification for
The
National
Professional
experience. Other candidates could take
headteachers was launched yesterday by
Qualification for Headship, which has
up to three years to complete the training.
the teacher training agency.
been piloted in 22 centres across England
Mr David Hart, general secretary of
Mr David Blunkett, education and
and Wales, is designed to develop the
the National Association of Head
employment secretary, welcomed it as
leadership and management skills of
Teachers, said the scheme must be
"an important step in the government's
aspiring headteachers.
funded.
plans to introduce a mandatory
The TTA has drawn on best practice
He said: "Any suggestion that
qualification for all new headteachers".
from industry and business, as well as the
candidates should use the school budget
The government is keen to make the
education sector, and there will be a
or "dip into their own pockets" is totally
qualification compulsory following a
compulsory module on "strategic
unacceptable.
report earlier this year by Ofsted, the
leadership and accountability".
He said that since schools are already
education watchdog, which revealed
Up to 9,000 places are expected to be
finding it very difficult to recruit
there are about 3,000 "incompetent"
available in the first year, and within an
headteachers in many parts of the country
headteachers in Britain's schools.
hour of the launch, the TTA had received
"the need to acquire a mandatory
But teachers' unions, while supporting
250 calls about the qualification, which is
rigorous qualification might depress
the qualification, warned that the
expected to become compulsory.
applications further"
government would have to provide
Some candidates, mostly deputy
46
56. Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sintnel
May 15, 1997 Category: Local
Educators shift focus to toughen students
By TIM COLLIE
Staff Writer
Instead of trying to solve the social
and domestic violence.
"Those of us who work with children
ills afflicting students. educators now are
But teachers can only go so far in
know that we get children who come
focusing on making them tough-minded
resolving troubled home lives, and their
from such disadvantage, and they're able
enough to survive the divorce, drugs and
limited time and resources may be best
to function and successfully conform."
violence around them.
spent teaching children how to cope and
said Alison Adler. director of the Safe
The idea is known as "resiliency" and
prosper under adverse conditions, several
Schools Center for the Palm Beach
it's gaining ground among the educators
conference participants said.
County School District. "And by
and child welfare advocates who
Underlying the theory is a growing
conform I mean take some responsibility,
gathered Wednesday for an all-day
body of research showing that many
and display some competency. Yet. they
conference on children's issues sponsored
children actually thrive after
come from circumstances we'd describe
by the Children's Services Council of
experiencing ordeals such as war and
as very deprived."
Palm Beach County.
poverty. Educators are now asking what
At its most basic, the resiliency theory
Few educators would describe the
qualities these children have and how
involves setting and maintaining
resiliency theory as a retreat from dealing
those positive attributes can be
standards for behavior. It stresses
with seemingly intractable issues like
successfully taught.
activities and rules.
teen pregnancy, single-parent families
57. San Francisco Chronicle
May 15, 1997 Category: Local
Diversity Lessens At Boalt Hall
55 non-Asian minorities accepted; lowest in decade
By Pamela Burdman
Chronicle Staff Writer
The University of California at
to ban the use of race and ethnicity in UC
But administrators remain concerned
Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law
admissions,
Boalt's
admissions
that the regents' policy may have sent a
announced yesterday that 55 students of
committee did not have access to
negative message to minority candidates.
underrepresented minority groups have
information about applicants' race. The
If so. it could erode the school's yield
been accepted to this fall's entering class
data was collected later from the
rate - the number of admitted students
- by far the lowest number to be
organization that administers the Law
who actually enroll.
admitted in more than a decade.
School Admissions Test.
A group of minority students at Boalt
Although it is not yet known how
I'm extremely distressed by this,"
are contacting some of the admitted
many of those admitted - 39 Latinos,
said Boalt Hall Dean Herma Hill Kay
students to encourage them to attend.
14 blacks and 2 American Indians -
yesterday. "This is what we thought
UCLA's law school saw a somewhat
will enroll at Boalt, they constitute just 7
would happen when the resolution was
less dramatic drop in the number of
percent of the 792 students who were
put in place, and it looks as though we
non-Asian minorities who were admitted
admitted.
were right."
- 108 compared with 222 last year.
In contrast, last year Boalt accepted
The number of offers to
Last week, a group of Boalt students
815 students, and 162 - about 20
underrepresented minorities was nearly
pushing for greater diversity urged their
percent - were underrepresented
double the number projected in a
school to assign greater weight to
minorities.
statistical analysis by a faculty committee
socioeconomic factors - an approach
Because of the regents' 1995 decision
last year.
that UCLA is already using.
12
Pakradouni, curriculum coach for
"Some of the teachers they've hired
of the Visalia School District in central
Columbus Elementary School in
haven't seen a first- or second-grade
California. "That will hurt us for the next
Glendale. "You can see dramatic results
classroom since they were in first or
few years."
almost instantly in kids' interest as well
second grade themselves," says Day
But most administrators, educators.
as teachers' enthusiasm."
Higuchi. of the Los Angeles Unified
parents, and kids think the long-term
While the benefits of smaller classes
School District's union. Noting that about
prognosis is positive. "We found that 100
seem to make common sense, there is "no
4,000 emergency waiver teachers have
percent of teachers are behind this idea,
consistent evidence that smaller classes
been hired, he says, "until the problem of
and 97 percent of parents," says Doug
are better than larger ones with the range
training and hiring good teachers is
Langdon, a researcher for the San Diego
we normally see," says Eric Hanushek,
worked out, it [may not be] the best
Unified School District, which has
an economist at the University of
learning environment for the kids."
conducted polls to assess the first year
Rochester in New York. But educators
Funding is another concern. The state
there.
here feel the California experiment if it
legislature is now debating a $500
"The change from 32 classmates last
can be kept going financially - could
million increase for next year, but this
year to 19 this year has been dramatic for
provide that proof.
would only cover $666 of the $800.
my son," adds Suzanne LeDuke. whose
One hurdle will be finding qualified
average statewide cost per student per
son, Killian, is a first-grader at Dixie
teachers. California hired an
year. Local districts must make up the
Canyon Elementary. "He has been able to
unprecedented number of "emergency
shortfall.
establish a one-on-one relationship with
waivered" teachers with minimum
To participate this year, "we've had to
a teacher who understands his strengths
acceptable levels of reading, writing, and
take a $70,000 bite out of our general
and weaknesses. That is just not possible
math skills. Parent reactions have ranged
fund," says Bill Baker, financial director
with a brood of 32.'
from mild concern to outrage.
9. The Christian Science Monitor
May 13, 1997
Affirmative Action: Rollback That Isn't
Linda Feldmann, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON - The effect to roll
approved the initiative with 54 percent of
change was minor but allowed the
back affirmative action may not be the
the vote.
administration to claim progress.
juggernaut it once looked to be - despite
But even given that green light, some
Political perils The problem with the
,a major boost last month from a federal
Republicans have been reluctant to seize
affirmative-action issue for Republicans
appeals court in California.
the issue. Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma,
is that it does not lend itself to easy
In Washington, House Speaker Newt
Congress's only black Republican,
sound-bites. An effort to end
Gingrich (R) of Georgia is resisting
cautions that now is not the time to end
"preferences" and "set-asides" could be
pressure from within his party to act on
the program. Speaker Gingrich, while
characterized by the other side as an
legislation that would end race and
opposing preferences, says he wants the
attempt to roll back opportunities for
gender preferences in federal programs.
GOP to do more to help minorities before
minorities and women. The GOP hopes
In some states, meanwhile, efforts to
curtailing affirmative action.
to attract more minorities and does not
curtail preferences in state hiring,
In an interview, Rep. Charles Canady
want to appear insensitive.
contracting, and education are moving
(R) of Florida, Gingrich's main opponent
The Republican Party - and Gingrich
forward - but slowly. Activists are
on the issue, chided the Speaker: "The
in particular - already suffers from an
working to draft language, raise money,
Speaker of the House says he's against
image of "meanness" from the last
and gather signatures for ballot
preferences, but he's also unwilling to
Congress, over issues such as the federal
initiatives, but even supporters offer a
take legislative action to end preferences.
school-lunch program.
measured assessment of how quickly
He's not being consistent."
"Once we're labeled as harsh or
these initiatives can be brought to voters.
Until last week, Congressman Canady
mean-spirited, it's hard to get over that."
"There's been a lot of talk," says John
had no partner in the Senate to push for
says William Bradford Reynolds. a
Miller, spokesman for the Center for
rollback legislation, but Sen. Orrin Hatch
Justice Department official during the
Equal Opportunity, which opposes
(R) of Utah has now been enlisted. He is
Reagan administration who stirred
affirmative action. He sees only two
taking a go-slow approach, calling for
controversy in the 1980s for saying
states, Florida and Washington, that
hearings to discuss the appropriate
publicly that preference programs were
might be ready for the 1998 ballot.
language for a bill.
wrong.
In April, a three-judge federal panel in
Last week the Clinton administration
Still, Mr. Reynolds views affirmative
California unanimously ruled that the
took a little of the wind out of
action as a winning issue for
state's 1996 ballot measure to end racial
Republican sails when it proposed
Republicans, as long as the news media
and gender preferences in state hiring,
tightened criteria for the awarding of
will let them make their case. The
contracting, and education was
federal contracts to minority businesses.
problem, he says, is that fewer people are
constitutional. California voters had
Conservatives complained that the
harmed by affirmative action today than
13
were in the 1970s and '80s, so it's harder
But local political analyst Robert
action in a more politically correct way
to drum up grass-roots support to fight it.
Joffee, a vice president at Mason-Dixon
lately than even civil-rights and left-wing
In addition, say other analysts, today's
polling firm, notes that it's difficult in
activists. They're used to the current
low unemployment makes for fewer
Florida to gather enough signatures to
system, and they don't want to alienate
aggrieved people over hiring practices.
make the ballot without a lot of financial
markets."
View from Florida In Florida, Orlando
help, and he believes the business
Moreover, Jeb Bush - the GOP's top
accountant John Barry is optimistic about
community will be reluctant to
prospect for the Florida governor's race
his ability to put an initiative similar to
contribute. Top corporate leaders, he
next year - has steered clear of the issue,
California's on the ballot in November
says, "have been speaking of affirmative
as has the Florida Republican Party
1998.
TRADE
10. The Chronicle of Higher Education [Academe Today]
May 13, 1997
Supreme Court Declines to Review Case on
Student-on-Student Sexual Harassment
By DOUGLAS LEDERMAN
The Supreme Court on Monday let
Monday, a woman identified in court
that a school could be held responsible
stand a lower court's dismissal of a
documents as J.W. had sued the Bryan
for failing to stop student-on-student
lawsuit brought against a Texas school
district over the treatment of her daughter
sexual harassment only if it was shown to
district for failing to stop students from
at one of its middle schools. The lawsuit
have treated harassment claims made by
sexually harassing their peers. The High
claimed that district officials had failed to
men differently from those made by
Court's action distressed advocates of
act even though they knew that some
women.
women's rights, who had hoped that it
male students at the school had
The U.S. Education Department
would send the message that colleges and
physically and verbally abused J.W.'s
published guidelines in March that said
schools must act to stop such harassment
daughter, by pinching her breasts, among
college and school officials must take
under federal laws that bar sex
other things. The lawsuit charged that the
"immediate and appropriate steps" to
discrimination in educational institutions.
district's inaction violated Title IX of the
remedy student-on-student harassment
The Court's decision not to hear the
Education Amendments of 1972, which
once they learn about it. The guidelines
case, which was announced without
bars sex discrimination at colleges and
specifically took issue with the Fifth
comment from the Justices, represented
schools that receive federal funds.
Circuit's decision in the Rowinsky case.
the second time in seven months that the
A district court and the U.S. Court of
which Education Department officials
Court had passed up an opportunity to
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit had
said was "inconsistent" with nearly a
weigh in on educators' obligation to stop
dismissed J.W.'s lawsuit, citing the Fifth
decade's worth of rulings by the
students from harassing one another
Circuit's earlier rulings in the other case
department's Office for Civil Rights.
based on their sex. Both cases involved
against the Bryan district, which the
The case acted on by the Supreme
parents of female students in the Bryan
Supreme Court declined to hear in
Court Monday is J.W. V. Bryan
Independent School District, in Bryan,
October. In that case, which was known
Independent School District. No.
Tex.
as Rowinsky V. Bryan Independent
96-1422.
In the case whose appeal was denied
School District, the Fifth Circuit ruled
11. Education Daily
May 13, 1997
JUSTICES TURN AWAY STUDENT HARASSMENT
SUIT
F
or the second time in seven
sexually harassing students.
(96-1422), in which a federal appeals
months, the U.S. Supreme Court
The justices, without comment,
court held to its position that schools
has sidestepped the controversy
yesterday declined to review J.W. V.
must simply treat harassment complaints
over school districts' liability for students
Bryan Independent School District
by boys and girls equally (ED. March
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
UC Task Force Reaches Impasse / Regents' panel
DOCUMENT 1 OF 2
SFC9713500051
NEWS
UC Task Force Reaches Impasse / Regents' panel disagrees on how to
* diversify student body
Pamela Burdman, Chronicle Staff Writer
646 Words
4490 Characters
05/13/97
The San Francisco Chronicle
FINAL
A17
(Copyright 1997)
Two years ago, when they began an unprecedented experiment in the
dismantling of affirmative action, the University of California
regents set up a task force to explore new ways to help disadvantaged
students meet UC's entrance requirements.
Composed of educators, business leaders, students and a few
regents, the group was supposed to produce recommendations within six
months of its creation -- detailing new ways to expand the pool of
UC-eligible students without using race or ethnicity in the
admissions process.
Nearly 18 months since its first meeting, the 35-member outreach
task force still has not produced its report -- a testament to both
the magnitude and the contentiousness of their task.
Now, a group of task force members unhappy with the current draft
are threatening to write a dissenting report. They say the task
force has offered no innovative approaches, while skirting critical
questions about the role of race and ethnicity in shaping
disadvantage.
"We weren't handed the task to come up with a political solution
to this issue," said task force member Eugene Garcia, dean of
Berkeley's school of education. "We were asked to give advice about
* how we can have a diverse student body in the University of
California."
UC administrators were set to ship copies of the report to high
school principals around the state last week, saying it had the
blessing of the entire task force. But they abruptly shifted course
late last week, with a decision to have another round of revisions.
Still, the gist of the task force's recommendations has emerged
in a series of draft reports, the latest of which reached committee
members yesterday.
The drafts envision setting up regional partnerships pairing UC
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, May 13, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
campuses with low-performing schools, expanding existing academic
enrichment programs and providing better and more timely information
about UC to high school students.
Margaret Heisel, director of UC outreach, considers the plan a
bold attempt to break new ground and believes most task force members
agree.
"We're pulling together the whole arsenal of resources the
university has in a comprehensive plan to bear on particular
schools," she said. "That has great potential to make a difference
in the number of people who are prepared for college and end up in
good, solid programs.
"The chancellors have agreed to commit themselves to this project
that's something that's never, ever been done."
However, some critics say the new draft doesn't go far enough to
deal with concerns detailed in a series of letters to UC
headquarters.
*
One of the harshest evaluations came from Cecil Lytle, a UC San
* Diego provost.
"These are current initiatives
which have proven
ineffective at creating and sustaining diversity of campuses even
during the halcyon affirmative action era," wrote Lytle. "This
report is a grab for consolidation and status quo, and I cannot sign
it without substantial changes in attitude and focus."
Richard Russell, an alumni regent who serves on the task force,
complained that the report fails to take the race and ethnicity issue
head on. He worries that such an omission will only accentuate the
* perception that UC's doors are closed to minority students.
The report clearly shows that average SAT scores of blacks and
Latinos at all income levels lag behind their white and Asian
American counterparts, a problem Russell says cannot be solved by
focusing only on social and economic disadvantage.
Committee members have differed on the question of whether
outreach programs can target by ethnicity, especially now that
Proposition 209 has cleared its first legal hurdle.
Given all the divisions, some task force members had mainly
praise for the report.
Wrote UC Riverside executive vice chancellor David Warren, "This
was a tremendously difficult job of juggling a lot of often very
conflicting viewpoints, and the result is a product that does this
while at the same time staying very much on the high moral ground."
I0607
End of document.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, May 13, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Plans Seek More UC Pupils From Poorer Schools
DOCUMENT 5 OF 6
LATM9713200296
Metro Desk
Plans Seek More UC Pupils From Poorer Schools
KENNETH R. WEISS
TIMES STAFF WRITER
2042 Words
14108 Characters
05/12/97
Los Angeles Times
Home Edition
A-1
Infobox; List
Copyright 1997 / The Times Mirror Company
The ban on affirmative action in admissions to the University of
California has spawned a series of proposals seeking other ways of
increasing the number of students drawn from the state's poorer-performing
high schools.
The plans, including a proposed state constitutional amendment, would
guarantee admission to the top-ranking students from each of California's
844 public high schools--the rich ones, the poor ones and those of every
racial mix.
Some proposals would promise spots only to valedictorians while others
would extend offers to the top 4%, or 6% or even 12.5% of each high
school's graduating class. Proponents say such measures would improve the
geographic distribution of UC students, inspire competition within
lackadaisical high schools and reward disadvantaged students who now lose
out to their wealthier counterparts in the competition for UC admissions.
Skeptics see another motivation: an attempt to skirt California's ban
on racial preferences.
"If we stack the deck so we get so many students from South-Central
Los Angeles and so many from Compton High, there is a question whether it
is giving preferential treatment," said UC Regent Ward Connerly, the
state's leading affirmative action foe. "That would run afoul of Prop.
209."
But UC President Richard C. Atkinson said last week that he believes
"it's not a bad idea" to offer automatic admission to the top 4% of each
high school's graduates--a plan that could fill a third of UC's freshman
class. The remaining seats would be filled by open competition among all
applicants.
"If you are saying that in a large high school the top four people in
every hundred aren't UC eligible, I think they are," Atkinson said. "But
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
if you are saying, you are just doing that for racial diversity, I would
say there are lots of reasons to do it."
Disparity in Admissions
There is statewide competition now for 24,500 freshman slots at the
nine UC campuses.
Each year, 46,000 of the state's 259,000 graduating public high school
seniors apply for the openings--pitting students from Beverly Hills High
against those from Compton High.
Many of the most talented students end up going to private colleges.
*
Nevertheless, the state Department of Education notes a wide disparity in
how high schools feed students to UC. The latest figures show Beverly
Hills High, for instance, sending nearly 20% of its graduates there,
while Compton sent only 1% of its graduates.
Some officials are concerned that such disparities will grow as UC
eliminates affirmative action in undergraduate admissions next year.
Race, ethnicity and gender were dropped as factors in graduate school
admissions this year--even before voters in November approved Prop. 209,
the ballot measure banning such preferences.
Since then, half a dozen plans have surfaced to reserve seats for
students from all California public high schools. They range from Lt.
Gov. Gray Davis' proposal to set aside slots for merely the top two
students at each school to a constitutional amendment proposed by Sen.
Teresa Hughes (D-Inglewood), which would offer admission to the top
12.5%.
A UC analysis of such a 12.5% plan estimated that it would boost the
percentage of Latino students by more than half and slightly increase the
number of African Americans, while decreasing the percentage of Asian
Americans and whites.
The analysis also indicated that the 12.5% plan would lower academic
standards--measured by grade point averages and SAT scores--for all
groups. That prompted some second-guessing about any proposal to
automatically admit such a large proportion of each high school's
graduates.
"I don't believe the university would want us to lower our standards
to accommodate other goals," said Dennis Galligani, UC's assistant vice
president who oversees admissions.
But the idea of reserving seats for each high school--including the
most troubled--has many backers, including the revered former UC
president, Clark Kerr. "Someone who has things in their favor all of
their lives doesn't deserve the same credit as someone who had to operate
in difficult circumstances," Kerr said.
Such proposals are sure to be controversial, however.
*
Last summer, when UC San Diego proposed giving extra points to
applicants from disadvantaged high schools, parents complained that it
would penalize high-quality schools--and harm property values. "We
scrapped the idea," said Richard Backer, an assistant vice chancellor.
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
"It got blown out of proportion."
Still, Lt. Gov. Davis defends as reasonable his plan to guarantee UC
seats to the top two students at each high school, or perhaps four or
five students. "We allow a 320-pound lineman to go to UCLA even if he
doesn't meet all of the requirements," Davis said. "Let's do it for the
top two people graduating from high school."
Senate leader Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) did not go that far. On Jan.
19, while acting as governor--because Gov. Pete Wilson and Davis were out
of state--he issued a proclamation calling on UC to provide "guaranteed
enrollment" merely for high school valedictorians.
The proclamation has no force of law. Even a law passed by the
Legislature could not dictate policy for the constitutionally autonomous
University of California--unlike in Texas, where lawmakers are
considering a measure to grant university admission to the top 10% at
each high school.
So Hughes has introduced a measure to amend the California
Constitution to specify that the top 12.5% from each high school be
entitled to UC admission. Hughes said she also will soon ask the Senate
and Assembly to set up a joint committee to explore ways to revise UC
admission policies.
"The main reason to do this is to have the student population reflect
the state's diversified population and give the opportunity to all
students," she said. "This is a colorblind approach."
*
But her plan would benefit some minority students, according to
computer simulations run by UC after the Board of Regents abolished
affirmative action in 1995. Picking the top 12.5% of each high school's
graduates based on grades and SAT scores, the study said, would increase
"UC eligible" Latinos from 3.9% to 6.2% and African Americans from 5.1%
to 5.5%. The percentage of Asian Americans would drop 6 percentage
points, and white students about 2 points.
Saul Geiser, UC's manager of research and planning for student
academic services, said the increase in black and Latino students was not
as much as some proponents had wished. "If the hope is to produce a
significant difference in racial and ethnic diversity, this isn't it," he
said.
One reason is that the strategy would give automatic entrance not only
to top students in inner-city schools but in small rural ones, which are
predominantly white. Another is that many of the predominantly black or
Latino high schools have had a sprinkling of Asian Americans or others
who make up a disproportionate number of top achievers.
Learning From Sports Drafts
Rodolfo Alvarez, a UCLA sociologist proposing that 6% from each school
be guaranteed enrollment, contends that the real effect would result over
time as the prospect of automatic college admission inspires better
performance in schools and becomes a source of neighborhood pride.
"If you guarantee the top 6%, think what it does to the community," he
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
said. "The local Rotary and Lion's clubs become enlivened and excited by
knowing that some of their kids are going to the university."
Joining with a UC Santa Barbara sociologist, Alvarez in February began
circulating a 17-page paper detailing a revised admissions strategy that
he likens to the draft for pro sports teams: Each of UC's campuses would
develop a list of feeder high schools from across the state, then make
early admissions offers to their students.
If students did not get into the campus that they wanted, they could
take their chances in the regular admissions cycle, competing with top
talent across the state.
Hughes has been sufficiently intrigued by this approach that she wants
to incorporate it--and the 6% figure--into her legislation. She recently
held a strategy session with Alvarez and representatives from the NAACP
and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
UC administrators emphasize that they are committed to figuring out
how to preserve a diverse student body without violating the regents' ban
on racial preferences. They thus are focused on outreach to
low-performing public schools to boost the preparation of disadvantaged
students.
But Atkinson expressed interest in tinkering with admissions policy as
well. "My original idea was to let the principals make the decision of
selecting who is eligible," he said. "But there are a lot of problems
with that. People didn't respond too well to that."
No Easy Alternatives
Before 1960, the university did reserve about 10% of its freshman
class for special admissions--largely for students recommended by
principals, said John A. Douglass of UC Berkeley's Center for Studies in
* Higher Education.
In the '60s, that was scrapped in favor of a more systematic
compilation of grades and SAT scores. UC also began its
affirmative-action programs, first inspired by the civil rights movement
then fortified in 1974 when the Legislature declared that student bodies
should reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of the state.
Preparing for the hordes of baby boomers entering colleges, the Master
*
Plan for Higher Education mandated that the top 12.5% of high school
graduates would be eligible for UC admission and the top 33.3% for
admission to the California State University system.
But those percentages referred to all graduates statewide, not of each
high school.
In reality, some schools produce few graduates who survive the
competition for UC slots.
In Los Angeles County, for instance, 39 of the 171 public high schools
sent fewer than 4% of their 1995 graduates to UC, according to the state
* Department of Education.
Orange County had six high schools--Valley, Century, Western, Anaheim
and Santa Ana and Aliso Niguel--that fell below the 4% mark that year. In
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 4
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Ventura County, Fillmore, Hueneme and Oxnard high schools sent fewer than
4% of its seniors to UC.
But other high schools-such as San Marino, South Pasadena and Sunny
Hills in Fullerton--sent one-fourth of their seniors to UC. The lower
ranking of these students could lose out if the process was changed to
guarantee 4% admissions to every school.
Atkinson and others concede that any revision poses problems.
One of the thorniest is how the reserved seats would be distributed at
various UC campuses. Standards for admission to UC Berkeley and UCLA are
higher than for the other campuses, driven by demand. Should a reserved
seat at UC Berkeley be awarded the same as to UC Riverside?
Another problem is that some high schools, often the small rural ones,
don't offer all the courses--for instance in the sciences--UC requires
for admission.
"We would have to assure that those students
would spend the
summer in special remedial courses that would permit them to come up to
speed," Atkinson said.
Despite such problems, the concept of setting aside seats for each
school intrigues even those suspicious of its intent.
Connerly, the regent who orchestrated the affirmative action ban, said
he is open to any strategy that might change the culture that discourages
* poor children from pursuing higher education.
"If we can turn this around and make it cool to compete academically,"
he said, "it could have the impact of turning around the black community.
It's worth trying. If there ever was a time for us to try different
things, this is it."
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Expanding Eligibility
University of California officials conducted a study to estimate the
impact of a proposal to admit the top 12.5% of the graduates of each
California high school. The conclusions: More black and Latino students
would be eligible for UC and the eligible percentage of Asian American
and white students would decline.
CURRENT ELIGIBILITY VS. PROTECTED ELIGIBILITY
Current
Projected
potential freshmen potential freshman
African American
5.1%
5.5%
Latino
3.9%
6.2%
Asian American
32.2%
26.0%
White
12.7%
10.6%
AVERAGE ACADEMIC INDEX SCORE
The plan would also diminish the academic profile of candidates for UC
enrollment, with a drop in the academic index score for each racial and
ethnic group. The score is based on a formula using grade-point averages
and SAT scores.
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 5
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Current
Projected
potential freshmen potential freshman
African American
6,515
5,797
Latino
6,537
5,911
Asian American
6,719
6,529
White
6,681
6,632
Total eligibility pool
6,677
6,443
Source: University of California
I0607 * End of document.
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 12, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 6
Newswe
ITAIN INSIDE WON: STORY
The Myth of
Quality
Time
How We're
Cheating Our
Kids
What You
Can Do
19
0 706288
01134
a
ESSAY
The Color Bind
b
S.
o
Thanks to a court order, a law school discovers that without an affirmative-
P
e
action program its student body will be too white for comfort
a
a
S
BY ELLIS COSE
date seem to be planning to enroll. Still, the
Harvard education professor Gary Orfield
VER SINCE A FEDERAL COURT OUT-
school will inevitably be a whiter place. Ifhe
to launch a major series of conferences
lawed affirmative action at the Uni-
has to face classes with no black students in
largely devoted to reassessing affirmative
versity of Texas, Austin, law school
them this fall, "I will be very depressed,"
action in today's society.
fi
last year, promoters of "diversity"
confessed Patrick Woolley, a black assistant
In some sense, UT law school brought
have prophesied disaster. Now, as
law professor, adding, "I'm very depressed
the crisis on itself by putting an
the school admits its first post-affir-
about it now. Ast is, even with affirmative
affirmative-action program
mative-action class, their nightmare is com-
action, there aregaly a handful of black stu-
in place that flagrantly
ing to pass. If the end of affirmative action is
dents in a class ahundred."
flouted Supreme
not really analogous to the onset of Jim Crow,
For affirms tive action's champions, the
to many Latino and black students, the dis-
whitening of VT: law school is an unset-
tinction seems hardly worth the trouble of
tling harbing of what awaits selective
making. As Diana Saldaña, president of the
schools across@therica. Tm finding it dif-
Chicano-Hispanic Law Students Associa-
ficult to avoid coming an alarmist,"
tion put it, "It took us 30 years to get here, and
confided Christe Her Edley Jr.,
it took them 24 hours to dismantle any
the Harvard law brofessor
progress we have made."
who served as
Last year the highly ranked UT law
dent
Clif
school admitted a class that was 5.9 percent
affirmative-
black and 6.3 percent Hispanic. This year
(with roughly 80 percent selected, and the
university projecting no huge shift in pro-
portions of those yet to be picked), the black
percentage stands at just over .7 and the
Hispanic at just under 2.3. Angelyque
Campbell, a black student completing work
on a combined law and public-policy de-
gree, believes that the school is in danger of
becoming an "ivory white tower" that no
longer values minority students. To Ward
action adviser.
Connerly, who led the fight for the aboli-
Although the
tion of affirmative action in California state
Fifth
Circuit
government, UT law school's numbers re-
Court
decision
veal something even more troubling. They
technically is limit-
reflect "the magnitude of the preferences
ed to scholarship and
we have been giving at many of our col-
admissions programs
leges and accentuate the tragedy of affir-
at public institutions
mative action." Such statistics, he says,
in Louisiana, Missis-
should not inspire alarm but motivate peo-
sippi and Texas, some
ple to "put their noses to the grindstone and
educators fear that the
get better prepared."
court's reasoning may even-
University officials, who feared a race-
tually be broadly applied-not
relations fiasco if no black law students
only to public universities in
matriculated, unleashed faculty members,
other states but to all universi-
alumni and other students to urge the few
ties (including prestigious pri-
who were accepted to actually attend. As a
vate ones, such as Harvard)
result, at least one of the six blacks (and half
that receive government funds.
of the 18 Mexican-Americans) admitted to
Such concerns led Edley and
58
NEWSWEEK MAY 12, 1997
Court guidelines. Though initial sorting of
I'm very
school system demonstrated that they no
applicants was done purely on the basis of
longer need such assistance. By 1993 the
grades and Law School Aptitude Test
depressed. As it is,
number of freshmen matriculating had
scores, the school went afield by applying
dropped to 54, where it has more or less re-
totally different standards and using radi-
even with affirmative
mained ever since. Latinos and blacks, rea-
cally different admissions procedures for
sons Karabel, will probably be even harder
blacks and Mexican-Americans than for
whites and others. Four white applicants
action, there are only
hit, since their grades and test scores on av-
erage are lower than those of Filipinos.
sued and won. Now they are back in court
a handful of black
Serious researchers dismiss the notion
seeking $5.5 million in damages.
that affirmative action based on socioeco-
The prospect for minority UT applicants
students in a class
nomic status can be much of a substitute.
outside the law school does not seem near-
A wide-ranging statistical analysis by
ly as bleak-largely because other disci-
of a hundred.
Thomas Kane of Harvard's Kennedy
plines rely less on test scores and grades.
School of Government demonstrates what
(Thanks in part to a vigorous recruitment
critics have long assumed: since so many
effort, admission offers to black freshmen
- PATRICK WOOLLEY,
poor whites and poor Asians do relatively
at UT were only a bit lower than last year,
law professor
well on standardized tests, class-based but
and offers to Latinos have actually risen
colorblind affirmative action is more likely
slightly.) Heavy dependence on test scores,
to help them than it is to assist poor blacks
however, is typical of selective law schools
versity Law Review found that a colorblind
and poor Latinos-at least as long as selec-
-as well as of medical schools and elite
test- and grades-driven admissions policy
tive schools put so much stock in tests.
universities. And without some form of af-
would decimate the ranks of Latino and
Foes of affirmative action think all the
firmative action, many blacks and Latinos
black law students. Of the 3,435 blacks ac-
handwringing is unwarranted. Why worry,
who currently get into such institutions are
cepted by at least one of the more than 160
they say, if certain blacks and Latinos don't
certain to be excluded. Indeed, an
ABA-approved law schools in America,
get into first-rank schools? "We have no di-
analysis of 1990-91 law-school
only 687 would have made it purely on the
vine right as blacks to go to the University of
applicants just published in
basis of their tests and grades, concluded
Texas law school with lower SAT scores,"
the New York Uni-
Linda Wightman, a former official at the
asserts Larry Elder, a KABC radio host
Law School Admissions Council. Color-
whose conservative views have drawn fire
blind policies, in other words, may lead to
Hom some fenow blacks. Elder and others
"levels of segregation not seen in a. quarter
beit
Mess well prep redistudents can
century," worries Jerome Karabel, a sociol-
third or fourth-rate institu-
ogy professor at the University of Califor-
tions
are
tter at
nia, Berkeley, and chief architect of
any rate. Kane's data suggest, however, that
that university's affirmative-
minority students may, in fact, not do better
action program-which the
at such schools, that a high-quality educa-
regents voted in 1995
tional institution can make up for a multi-
to abolish. That
tude of deficiencies. Minority students who
go to selective schools are more likely to
graduate than are their counterparts who
are equally able but attend less prestigious
institutions (excluding historically black
colleges, which have relatively high gradua-
tion rates). One reason, believes Karabel, is
that elite schools are generally not com-
muter schools, meaning students are less
likely to have to put up with distracting
vote
(under-
noneducational influences. Such schools
scored by last year's
also are simply more likely to offer an at-
anti-affirmative-action ballot
mosphere where both high academic
intiative in California) has not yet
achievement and careers are fostered.
fully taken effect within the UC system.
Moreover, as supporters of affirmative
Already, however, administrators there
action argue, public institutions have a
report that applications from Chicanos,
much more complex agenda than simply
blacks and American Indians have
admitting those who score best on tests.
dropped. When the regents' resolution is
They are supposed to serve the public in-
fully implemented, the numbers accepted
terest, which, among other things, means
are likely to plunge, conjectures Karabel on
considering the needs of the taxpayers
the basis of the university's experience with
who support them. Claudia Valles, a Mexi-
Filipinos. In 1989, when Filipinos (then
can-American and third-year law student
considered an underrepresented mi-
at UT, Austin (and the first member of her
nority) were covered by affirmative ac-
family to go to college). observed that for
tion, 227 came as freshmen to UC,
people from backgrounds like hers, a state
Berkeley. That year the university be-
school with low tuition may be their only
gan to phase out special consideration
real shot at a good education. Why, she
for Filipino applicants, reasoning that
asks, should Mexican-Americans, who pay
their success in the California public-
so much of Texas's taxes, be denied that
ILLUSTRATION BY RAY BARTKUS
MAY 12, 1997 NEWSWEEK
59
opportunity? Saldaña, a third-year
Horto (City in a Garden),
student and former migrant worker,
should be changed to Ubi est
makes much the same point: "I
Mea? (Where's Mine?). His de-
worked hard to get where I'm at. It
piction of boodling judges, doz-
offends me that an Anglo can take
ing ward heelers and the late
my seat because they're unwilling to
mayor Richard J. Daley in
consider my background."
countless columns and the 1971
The trade-off is particularly clear
best seller "Boss" will endure
for medical school. A study last year
as central source material for
by physicians at the University of
how machine politics lived and
California, San Francisco, found that
died in midcentury America.
few white doctors care to practice in
The son of a Ukrainian father
minority communities. In fact, they
and a Polish mother, Royko
were more likely to go to poor white
grew up above his father's sa-
areas than to affluent black and Lati-
loon, where he met people with
no neighborhoods. Barring a big
names like "Slats Grobnik" (his
change in behavior or residential
imaginary alter ego). His most
patterns, a decrease in the numbers
famous column was probably
of blacks and Latinos in medical
the one he wrote in 1979 after
school will inevitably result in fewer
his first wife, Carol, whom he
doctors in communities of color. For
had met at the age of 9, died of a
critics such as Elder and Connerly,
brain aneurysm. Its memorable
the answer is not affirmative action
ending: "If there's someone you
but a wholesale upgrading of schools
love but haven't said so in a
and a massive readjustment of atti-
Tenderhearted tough guy: Royko in his lair
while, say it now. Always, al-
tudes. "We need to do better in high school
ways, say it now."
and better on aptitude tests. And I predict
MEDIA
But sentiment was the excep-
that we will," declares Elder. But that is not
Chicago's Tribune
tion. Mostly, Royko's brilliant
a short-term solution. So many educators
moodiness made him an equal-
(motivated largely by the desire to keep mi-
opportunity tormentor: Jerry
nority numbers up) argue for relying on
Brown ("Governor Moon-
broader measures of merit-such as moti-
vation, talent and obstacles overcome-in-
Mike Royko earned his clout
beam") Of "Jesse Jetstream"
Jackson got it one day, Reagan-
stead of focusing so much on the ability to
as the voice of the little guy
ite greedheads or gun nuts the
do well on tests. Even the best of tests, they
next. His talent made him the
point out, are a limited measure of capabili-
last of journalism's Untouch-
ty. Wightman's study, for example, found
IKE ROYKO, THE CHICAGO LEG-
ables. In 1974 he wrote of a speech delivered
no real difference in either graduation or
bar-passage rates between those minorities
M
end who died last week, once ded-
by his own Chicago Daily News publisher,
icated a collection of his newspa-
Marshall Field: "It is not, by any means, the
who would have been admitted without af-
per columns to his "legmen." As
most foolish speech I've ever read. There
firmative action and those admitted be-
Royko handed out the books at his home, he
are at least three or four others that I can re-
cause of it. The problem, however, is con-
inscribed to Pat Wingert, now of NEWS-
call as being more foolish." Field ate it.
vincing a skeptical public-and equally
WEEK: "You were my best. Don't tell the
In recent years, Mexicans, blacks and
skeptical educators-that de-emphasizing
others." It wasn't until Wingert saw the
gays ignored Royko's strong civil-rights his-
tests would create a more just process.
prideful look on the faces of the other
tory and protested what they considered his
Elder and Connerly are no doubt right
acolytes that she realized that Royko, laugh-
slurs against them in the Chicago Tribune.
that better schooling could theoretically
ing loudly, had written the same to each.
Royko, always crotchety but no bigot,
render affirmative action in colleges obso-
Now we can tell all the others. Royko
hadn't really changed. The culture had. He
lete. Connerly offers the guess that the
was the best. Every time someone took a
was proud to be politically incorrect, but
process of upgrading education-and edu-
dopey poll of American journalists to see
toward the end it pained him that his satire
cational expectations-might take no more
which columnist had the most talent, he
was misunderstood.
than two or three years, although conceding,
won. For more than 25 years, Royko
The years of dangling Pall Malls and 3
when pushed, that it might perhaps take 10.
pounded out five 1,000-word columns a
a.m. benders took their toll, and Royko died
In light of the awful state of inner-city public
week, when even three is a stretch for most.
of a brain aneurysm at 64. He went out the
education. even the more conservative pro-
The best of them-from the 1960s and
way he once said he'd hoped to, like Ted
jection seems wildly optimistic. Still, for any
1970s-stand up well against anything by
Williams, hitting a home run his last time
number of reasons, people-at least those in
H. L. Mencken, Jimmy Breslin, Walter
up. In his final column, he explained that his
the public eye-don't seem to get nearly as
Lippmann or any other columnist in this
beloved Cubs were cursed not, as legend
passionate about upgrading bad schools and
century. Even when he spent every word of
has it, by a billy goat owned by Royko's bar-
improving conditions in poor communities
a column knifing someone, the reader al-
tender but by former owner P. K. Wrigley,
as they do about tearing down affirmative
ways knew who he was for: the little guy,
who was slow to hire black ballplayers. "It
action. But unless they do, 20 years from
out for a little justice and a little laugh.
had nothing to do with a goat's curse," he
now America will be in the midst of a new
Royko embodied Chicago as much as
concluded. "Not unless the goat wore a gab-
debate as citizens across the political spec-
Herb Caen, who also died this year, em-
ardine suit and sat behind a desk in an exec-
trum wrangle over why, even with affirma-
bodied San Francisco. But Royko was
utive suite." Funny. Angry. The best.
tive action gone, huge gaps in educational
hardly a gossip or a booster. He often sug-
JONATHAN ALTER with
achievement remain.
gested that Chicago's official motto, Urbs in
JOHN McCormick in Chicago
60
NEWSWEEK MAY 12, 1997
29
25. Academe Today
May 12, 1997
Backers of Affirmative Action Seek Strategy to Win
Support for Their Cause
By DOUGLAS LEDERMAN
Cambridge, Mass. - More than 150
Hopwood V. Texas, barred the law school
the colleges had created at least part of
academics, lawyers. and civil-rights
at the University of Texas at Austin from
the current dilemma for themselves by
advocates gathered here Friday to begin
using race as a factor in admissions.
depending
so
heavily
on
plotting a strategy for persuading judges,
By declaring that the desire to attract
standardized-test scores in admitting
politicians. and the public that it is legal
a diverse student body was not a
students. By defining excellence through
and just for colleges to use affirmative
sufficiently compelling reason to use
students' scores on such tests, on which
action to promote diversity.
affirmative action in admissions, the
black and some other minority students
The day-long conference. sponsored
Fifth Circuit directly challenged the
score significantly lower on average.
by Harvard University's Civil Rights
Supreme Court's 1978 decision in
colleges have had to use "affirmative
Project, achieved mixed results. The
Regents of the University of California V.
action to correct the problems we've
participants. all of whom seemed to favor
Bakke, on which most colleges have
inflicted on ourselves with our testing
affirmative action. shared ideas for
justified their use of race-based
standards," said Christopher Edley. Jr., a
producing social-science research that
preferences.
Harvard law professor who is co-director
might build support for it in the courts
In 1996, at the first of the Harvard
of the university's Civil Rights Project.
and elsewhere.
conferences, which was closed to the
Mr. Edley and the other co-director,
But the civil-rights advocates and
public, educators and lawyers bemoaned
Gary Orfield, a professor of education,
professors in the crowd also realized that
the lack of social-science evidence
ended the day by exhorting those
the narrow boundaries that recent court
colleges could use to prove the value of
gathered here to build and make the case
decisions have set for justifying the use
diversity to their campuses. Friday's
to people inside and outside academe that
of racial preferences leave little room for
conference was aimed at starting to fill
students benefit from being educated in a
doing so, no matter how passionately
that void but showed that that will be an
diverse setting and that employers want
they believe a.Tirmative action to be
uphill climb.
to hire students who have learned how to
right.
One researcher, Sylvia Hurtado of the
work with people of other races.
"It's frustrating to be focusing on how
University of Michigan, unveiled a new
Dr. Orfield seemed to strike the most
we can come up with data and research
study showing that female and minority
powerful chord of the day with a
that will make the case before a
professors were more likely than white
presentation that sought to challenge
reactionary Supreme Court as to why
men to use cooperative learning and
what he called the Hopwood court's
they should continue to allow some
other techniques that, she said, helped
statement that using race in admissions
minuscule sliver of affirmative action,"
students learn.
was "no more rational on its own terms
said Anthony M. Platt, a professor of
But John A. Payton, a lawyer in
than would be choices based upon the
social work at California State University
Washington, D.C., who has defended
physical size or blood type of
at Sacramento. Supporters of affirmative
affirmative action in several major
applicants." Using a series of simple
action may be better off, he said,
lawsuits, said such a finding would do
charts, Dr. Orfield sought to reveal the
"focusing instead on reaching a larger
little to persuade a judge or opposing
great differences between black and
group of Americans. not around narrow
lawyer of the merits of diversity. Mr.
white Americans today, showing black
legal issues, but around a defense of
Payton told Ms. Hurtado that he
people with far higher rates of
democracy in higher education."
imagined a judge would respond to her
unemployment and incarceration. and
That idea appealed to many of the
argument by saying: If you believe those
white people with far greater wealth.
participants, who argued that the political
techniques are beneficial, why not just
among other things.
fight over the future of affirmative action
require all professors to adopt them,
The Fifth Circuit court. in Hopwood.
was, in the long term, more significant
rather than counting on only some
and some other tribunals have dismissed
and promising than the current battle in
minority professors to provide them?
arguments about such societal
the courts. But the legal experts in the
Legal experts drilled similar holes in
discrimination, but one person attending
group sought repeatedly to remind their
other pieces of research, disheartening
the meeting, Isabelle Katz Pinzler. the
colleagues that academe must step up its
some of those in attendance. "It seems as
acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General
fight in the courts, which it is losing
if nothing may be enough to convince
for civil rights. said evidence of
badly, they said.
some of those federal judges," said Jorge
continuing racial discrimination could be
The conference was the third
Chapa, associate dean of the graduate
used in other courts and. more
sponsored by Harvard since March 1996,
school at the University of Texas at
importantly, in the political debate about
when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Austin.
affirmative action, to persuade
Fifth Circuit, in a case known as
Many of the participants argued that
Americans that race still does matter
56
a while to the unobservant - that we had
education ideas given greater currency
making both easy prey to fads and
disappeared. Now we have tenure, and
than in education departments. and for
half-baked ideas.
the work of reshaping the universities has
good reason. By and large. education
Educational-reform measures that do
begun in earnest."
departments represent the academic
not address methodological rot. teacher
Unfortunately, Parini's vision of what
slums of any university. Education
incompetency and leftist indoctrination
college education should be has
majors tend to have the lowest SAT
will bring disappointing results.
percolated throughout entire college
scores, and their professors tend to have
regardless of the amount of money
curricula. Nowhere are half-witted
the least academic respectability
spent.
70. The Washington Post
05/07/97; Edition: FINAL; Section: OP-ED; Page A21
Affirmative Action: Beyond Diversity
By Owen M. Fiss
between the perpetrators of those wrongs
than compensatory, justice. affirmative
Even the friends of affirmative action
and the people who bear the cost of the
action will work its own wrongs. For
are divided. Some see it as a way of
remedy. Nor are we told why the
blacks who obtain the prized positions,
creating a broad variety of viewpoints in
compensation should take the form of
doubts are created in the minds of some.
cultural spheres such as the university.
preferential treatment.
including those who occupy high
Others see it as an exercise in
Rather than thinking of affirmative
positions of power and prestige. as to
compensatory justice. For them,
action in terms of diversity or
whether they would be where they are
affirmative action is an effort to rectify
compensation, we should see it as a
without preferences. For rejected white
the wrongs of the past by giving certain
structural remedy for a structural
applicants, there is the frustration of not
groups an additional advantage in
problem: as a means of eradicating the
being able to attend particular schools or
competing for the prized positions of
caste structure that now mars our society
obtain specific jobs. In addition, these
society.
and that has its roots in slavery and the
applicants suffer a hurt that blacks know
I count myself as a defender of
segregation of Jim Crow. By giving
all too well - the hurt that comes from
affirmative action, most clearly as it
blacks a greater share of the privileged
being judged disfa\vorably on a criterion
applies to blacks. Yet both familiar
positions of society, affirmative action
unrelated to individual merit and over
rationales seem wanting. They were
improves the relative position of the
which they have no control.
constructed in the 1970s and '80s to
group that lies at the bottom of the heap.
These grievances should never be
appeal to the broadest constituency, but
It aims to end the racial ordering of
forgotten nor trivialized, but they do not
they mask the real reasons for affirmative
Americansocivety.
constitute a reason to turn away from
action and, in fact, render that policy
The structural rationale is like the
affirmative action. In an imperfect world.
vulnerable to the attacks it is now
compensatory one inasmuch as it builds
a great transformation cannot be
undergoing.
on history. But it does so in a markedly
achieved without pain and sacrifice -
The diversity rationale seems shallow
different way. In the structural one.
and even a certain measure of individual
and lacking the compelling quality
slavery and Jim Crow are viewed not as
injustice. Surely this must be the great
needed to justify the hardships created by
the reasons for the remedy but instead as
lesson of the American Civil War.
preferential treatment. It has little appeal
the causes of the social structure that
Asking for such sacrifices is an
outside the university context - for
needs to be changed. Affirmative action
extraordinary request, and our capacity to
example. among production workers or
is concerned with the present, with
make such a request depends on two
guard-rail contractors. Even in the
eliminating any form of caste that exists
conditions. One is that the cause involved
university, diversity seems an incomplete
in the here and now.
is so noble and so worthy as to justify the
justification, since it doesn't provide any
As such. affirmative action should
suffering the remedy will inflict. The
basis for choosing what kinds of
extend not just to blacks but to any group
other is that there is no other way. To
diversity we should favor. Why, we are
currently subordinated in society. Even
support affirmative action in the face of
left to wonder, should we give a plus to
immigrants who only recently arrived in
the individual wrongs that it will no
blacks but not to members of religious
this country and did not suffer past
doubt cause, we must believe, as Justice
groups that might be underrepresented?
wrongs at the hands of American society
Blackmun once put it, that we cannot
The rationale of compensatory justice
would be eligible for affirmative action if
eradicate caste without the system of
has the compelling quality lacking with
they constitute a subordinated group
preferences that affirmation action entails
diversity, but it falters because of the
comparable to blacks. (Such a result
- that, ultimately, we cannot get beyond
lack of identity between the victims of
would not be supported by the
racism without taking race into account.
the wrongs committed and the recipients
compensatory rationale.)
The writer is Sterling professor of law
of the preferential treatment - and
Even as a form of distributive, rather
at Yale Law School
Page 9
USA Today™
April 30, 1997
Colleges see fewer minorities apply
By Mary Beth Marklein
USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES - Students from nearby high schools are enjoying this taste of college life as they tour the UCLA
campus. But even as they visit the library, walk through the gym where Magic Johnson practices and discuss how to
be a "holistic student," many of them suspect their chances of getting in are slim and getting slimmer. And it hurts.
"If they say, 'You're not good enough,' that's going to be real hard," says Juan Rivas, 17, a junior with a B average
who plans to study business.
-
His fears may not be unfounded. He and most of the students touring the campus this day will get no boost for
being minorities now that there's a ban on affirmative action in admissions, imposed by the University California
Board of Regents and poised to go into effect for students entering in fall 1998.
For years, California campuses and hosts of other universities around the country have used race as one factor
among many in selecting students for admission. They defend the policy as a way to right past wrongs against
underrepresented minorities and as a way to build a community that's reflective of society. But the regents' action in
California and a major court decision in Texas - have halted the use of race as an admissions factor in those
states. Now higher education leaders nationwide are starting to see the impact:
For
the
of California campuses, fall 1997 applications from underrepresented minorities are down
5%, even as overall applications went up 2.6% over fall 1996. Officials say the ban mostly will affect black, Hispanic
and Native American students. Applications and enrollments of underrepresented minorities are down at the
University of Texas, which is tooking at new ways to enroll such students after a federal appeals court ruling last year
barred racial preferences. It admitted 192 more freshmen for this fall, bringing the total to 10,651, but only the
numbers of whites and Aslan-Americans increased. The number of admitted black students dropped 107, to 314;
Hispanics dropped 235, to 1,333. Applications alone by black and Hispanic students fell by 24% and 22%,
respectively, while overall applications were down 13%. The University of Colorado, fearing legal challenges such
as those raised in Texas, is broadening a financial aid award that benefited black students to include factors such-as
economic need or whether other family members have attended college.
Together, these developments are creating "just a deadening effect on the part of a number of minorities in terms
of whether they think college will even be open to them," says James Appleberry, president of the American
Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington. "Many parents and students think they will not be able
to get a college or university education, and so they don't even try.
In California; UC number crunchers predict that ultimately enrollment of underrepresented minorities could drop
by
50%
to
75%
systems two
schools.
Those prospects are stiming emotions students. On Monday; campus police used pepper spray and
batons on UC-Berkeley students protesting Proposition 209, a much broader anti affirmative action initiative whose
fate is still unknown. Voted into state law last November, it has been tied up in a stop-and-go series of legal.
challenges and could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. But even without 209, which would affect all public
schools, the UC ban remains.
, "They're taking away something that was so precious to us," says UCLA sophomore Willie Novoa, who protested
the regents' actions in marches and campus sit-ins, and who lobbied voters to reject 209. "I feel helpless," he says.
But sophomore Lisa Williams, who also fought the changes, is itching to fight some more. "This country is due for
a revolution," she says.
Supporters of affirmative action say it helps make up for decades of discrimination against women and minorities.
More than a nudge?
But those who support the ban say minorities are getting more than the nudge allowed by a 1978 Supreme Court
decision, Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke.
"Colleges have been saying they're using race as one of many factors, (but) the reality is it's the sole factor when
it gets used;" says Ward Connerly, the regent who spearheaded the change. And, he says, if underrepresented
groups, which compose about a third of UCLA's undergraduate population (Asian-Americans and whites make up
the rest), haven't yet achieved parity, "Doesn't it suggest that what we've been doing really hasn't been working?"
Indeed, the more pertinent issue, many suggest, is not that underrepresented minorities aren't admitted, but that
many aren't eligible.
This year, for instance, UCLA received applications for 3,600 spots for first-year students. Of the 10,000
letters of acceptance that went out in early April, the students averaged a 4.14 grade point average (GPAs can climb
over 4.0 with extra points given for honors courses) and 1,303 SAT scores "and most aren't coming from
underrepresented groups," says Thomas Lifka, assistant vice chancellor of student academic services.
Page 10
Meanwhile, minority enrollments in the less expensive, less selective 22-campus California State University
system have been increasing. Last fall, the number of black freshmen at CSU rose-15% over the previous year, and
the number of Hispanic freshmen rose 6%, That has led some to speculate that many students feel unwelcome at
the University of California.
UCLA officials seek to allay such fears. The regents "did not change the fundamental mission of the university
to guarantee a place at one of its campuses for every UC-eligible student," says Winston Doby, vice chancellor of
student affairs.
Yes, he says, "I'm concerned we're going to lose our diversity in the short run." But for now, he urges students
who stand little chance of getting into UCLA to "look at realistic alternatives," such as the less competitive UC-Davis
or UC-Riverside.
As it always has, UCLA will continue admitting 60% of applicants on academic achievements alone.
This spring, for the remaining 40% of the slots for fall 1997, a team of admissions staffers and qualified volunteers
examined 956 applications one by evidence of leadership, extracurricular Interests and performance in
the face of educational and economic hardship. Admissions officials always have read some-submissions but
primarily to judge students on the borderline academically.
Looking for surrogates?
UCLA officials call it a "holistic" approach that focuses on future potential rather than past achievement. But such
talk disturbs UCLA junior Jason Steele, state chairman of the California College Republicans, which supported the
regents and Proposition 209. "We're going to have to watch them very carefully," he says of administrators. "They're
scheming in any way possible to have affirmative action anyway."
Lifka disputes such suggestions. "To search for surrogates is in conflict with the spirit of what the regents did," he
says. Besides, he adds, "There isn't a good surrogate for race."
A panel of sociologists told Texas higher education officials much the same thing. Basing admissions on class
would bring in as many whites as underrepresented minorities.) Even so, state legislators are considering bills that
would give a nod to low-ineome families as a way to enroll more minorities.
Some UCLA outreach programs, which aren't affected by the regents' policy but could be affected by Proposition
209, do focus on economic factors that ultimately benefit minorities such as Juan Rivas. He's at UCLA this day
through a program funded by the Job Training Partnership Act.
"What we have to do is be clever enough to develop programs that don't have a gender and ethnic base but that
include underrepresented groups," says Mary Keipp, program manager of UCLA's 9-year-old Community Based
Learning Program. it invites students from low-income neighborhoods to UCLA to consider college as part of their
career goals. "Even if they can't come to UCLA, maybe we can open up their minds to going to some sort of college,"
she says.
No one's suggesting such efforts alone can solve the racia? disparities. Even so, "We cannot get discouraged,"
says UCLA freshman Katynja McCory, an outreach volunteer. "It may not occur in our lifetime, but these are the
roots that we're planting right now."
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
UCLA student group works to retain blacks,
DOCUMENT 3 OF 8
USAT9712000266
LIFE
UCLA student group works to retain blacks, Hispanics
Mary Beth Marklein
481 Words
3493 Characters
04/30/97
USA Today
FINAL
06D
(Copyright 1997)
LOS ANGELES -- While UCLA administrators sort out the do's and
don'ts of affirmative action in admissions, a group of students is
working to make sure minority students stay in school once they
enroll.
*
"Recruitment numbers mean nothing if you can't keep them and
graduate them," says Kimi Lee, executive director of the University
of California Student Association. ``For a lot of underrepresented
groups, once they get to a university, they feel isolated."
Like admission rates, retention rates for black and Hispanic
students at UCLA are lower than those of white and Asian-American
students. For instance, of those students who entered UCLA as a
freshman in fall 1990, 54.3% of black students and 66.4% of
Hispanics had graduated by 1996. Asian-Americans and whites each
had graduation rates of just over 81%.
The numbers might have been lower if not for UCLA's Campus
Retention Committee, a student-run organization that offers peer
counseling, mentoring, study groups and other support to struggling
minority students and summer programs for dismissed students.
But while recent attacks on affirmative action have prompted anger
and disappoinment among volunteer students, ``I see an eagerness to
try to find new ways to address what continues to be a problem,"
says Mandla Kayise, assistant director of the community programs
office that advises the committee. A lot of the students have
stepped up their efforts. A lot more students have signed up" to
help.
UCLA's program, funded through mandatory student fees of $15 a
year, has been around for almost 10 years. Now, other schools,
* including UC-San Diego, are trying to launch similar programs.
And two years ago, UCLA's volunteers began adapting some of the
programs for local high school students. That remains important,
Source: USA Today, April 30, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
because even with racial preferences in admissions, only 4%-5% of
Hispanic and black high school graduates in California are even
eligible to apply to UCLA and other UC schools.
At the Campus Retention Committee's offices, volunteers talk about
the need for underrepresented minorities to empower themselves and
each other. That mission fits with strategies discussed by an
Outreach Task Force, made up of representatives from each of the
University of California system's nine campuses.
Instead of widening outreach to meet more potential students, the
task force recommends deepening efforts to reach kids at a younger
age and for a longer period of time. UCLA, for instance, would work
with clusters of schools in nearby neighborhoods that are "low
performing," or ``educationally disadvantaged," says task force
member Winston Doby, UCLA's vice chancellor of student affairs.
You work with whole systems
to strengthen the academic
competitiveness of students in the pipeline."
Some argue that outreach alone won't be enough to increase and
keep the numbers of underrepresented minorities in UC schools. But
Kayise says such a prognosis "doesn't take into account the
response of the communities where we work. And I think that response
has been underestimated."
I0607
*
End of document.
Source: USA Today, April 30, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
Page 106
Dallas Morning News
April 28, 1997
Acting affirmatively
Texas needs new college admissions plan
Some Texas legislators believe they have a way to help Texas keep more minority students going to college here,
not out of state. Their plan will require budget writers' help, however.
Because of a court ruling, race can no longer be used as a factor in recruiting or admitting students to state
universities. Race cannot be used in determining financial aid either.
That unfortunate ruling sent lawmakers scrambling to prevent a "brain drain" as this legislative session began.
Minority applications already are down sharply at several Texas colleges. That's troubling for a state whose
population soon will become a majority of minority citizens.
While not perfect, a plan from Sens. Royce West, D-Dallas, and Teel Bivins, R-Amarillo, could help stop an
exodus. The Texas Senate recently passed the package, which awaits House consideration. Under the plan, 50
percent of university classes in the eight Texas schools that use selective criteria would gain admission through
traditional means: class standing, grade point averages and standardized test scores.
Forty percent would enter using additional factors. They include the applicant's socioeconomic background and
school activities. Schools likewise could examine whether the applicant's school is "low-performing."
Also, if a student finishes in the top 10 percent of his or her high school graduating class, he or she would be
automatically eligible for college admission in Texas. Some graduating classes are not very competitive. Perhaps
legislators should limit this category to the top 5 percent of students, making the prize a greater honor.
The reforms in this bill use factors other than race in evaluating students. Whether they will expand minority
enrollments is uncertain. But Texas must do something. That's why the Texas House should pass this bill, or fold it
into a similar bill by Rep. Irma Rangel, D-Kingsville.
Budget writers also must appropriate enough financial aid to make this approach work. The proposed state
budget falls short here. Sen. Bill Ratliff and Rep. Rob Junell, the top budget writers, should rectify this problem.
Without adequate help, Texas universities will lose both students of color and those without the means to attend
college. Both would be deplorable for a state in evolution.
18
The proposals are "not flashy stuff.
but the issue of cost could not be
court for decades.
but it's real." said Richard DeColibus.
avoided.
"We have tried everything else and we
president of the 5.000-member Cleveland
"That's what the people in state
have failed." said resident Ceola King.
Teachers Union in a district with a $150
government are trying to figure out:
"So what's wrong with trying something
million debt. high dropout rates and
What is the cost? How do you pay for
new? Our children deserve a chance."
shoddy buildings.
it?" Ellis said.
Those supporting the mayoral-control
The suggestions include a lower
The union's wish list was drafted at
plan said immediate action was necessary
teacher-student
ratio,
all-day
the suggestion of state Rep. Amy
because the district was in an economic
kindergarten. stricter discipline and
Salemo. R-Columbus.
and educational crisis.
greater parent and community
Salemo is chairwoman of the House
"We face a public education
involvement in schools.
Select Committee on School
emergency." said the Rev. Otis Moss.
If those changes are made. DeColibus
Governance. which held a public forum
pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist
said at a morning news conference,
on the schools Thursday night at
Church. "We need emergency action."
"We'll work with any governance.
Cuyahoga Community College.
It is possible that the committee will
including the mayor."
The committee listened for about four
vote on one of the proposals next week.
The union has steadfastly proposed a
hours while % Cleveland residents
Curt Steiner. chief of staff to Gov.
legislative proposal that would abolish
testified on the various proposals for
George Voinovich. said he was working
the elected school board and give
governing the schools.
with lawmakers to find consensus on
Cleveland Mayor Michael White control
Of the five bills under consideration
which bill will be moved from
of the district.
by the committee. parents and other
committee.
DeColibus. joined by Ron Marec.
residents focused on the one that would
"This is not about Mike White: it's
president of the parent Ohio Federation
turn over much control of the state's
about the future of the kids in
of Teachers, said the union's proposed
largest school district to White.
Cleveland." said Steiner.
improvements were based on educational
Proponents of the plan said giving the
A federal judge placed the district
research, such as the need for disciplined,
mayor the power to appoint a new school
under state control two years ago because
orderly classes to promote learning.
board would establish accountability and
of mismanagement and poor student
Rick Ellis. a spokesman for the school
return some local control to a district that
performance.
district. said many of the ideas had merit
has been under the control of a federal
Associated Press
04-25 3:57a
Educators cheered by poll showing support for college
diversity programs
By TIM KLASS Associated Press
academic excellence."
is not a fad. It is not political correctness.
Writer
In the 71-question telephone survey of
It is a moral imperative," Eshelman said.
SEATTLE (AP) - Affirmative action
600 randomly selected registered voters
"This gives me great hope for our
in student admissions. Recruitment of
throughout Washington. more than 70
future."
minority faculty. Classes that stress
percent agreed that diversity improves
Beckman said the findings generally
cross-cultural cooperation. Courses
the teaching, learning and extracurricular
followed sentiments voiced in two
reconstituted to draw from worldwide
climate on campus.
forums in Seattle in March last year. Two
sources.
Nearly two-thirds agreed that the
similar forums were conducted in
Despite hot debate over such
nation is growing apart. rather than
Philadelphia in July, and follow-up polls
programs, efforts to promote racial,
together. and that colleges should prepare
may be conducted in Pennsylvania and
cultural and ethnic diversity on college
students to "get along in a diverse
nationwide, he added.
campuses enjoy wide voter support, a
environment."
The findings were far from
survey indicates.
"These results represent considered
unanimous. More than three-fourths said
The poll conducted for the Ford
opinion." said Stuard Elway, president of
stressing diversity is ineffective "because
Foundation in Washington state, a
Elway Research Inc., which did the
learning mutual respect and
potential pilot study for surveys
polling March 6-13. "This is not an issue
understanding has to start well before
nationwide, shows conservatives as well
that our respondents hadn't thought about
college."
as liberals support educational diversity,
before."
To the statement, "There is little
especially to prepare students better for
McCormick and Elway were joined at
purpose to recruiting a diverse student
employment in a multicultural world,
a news conference Thursday by John
body because students separate
University of Washington president
Eshelman. acting president of
themselves into groups by race on
Richard L. McCormick said.
Jesuit-supported Seattle University, the
campus anyway," response was split 47
"This poll demonstrates that we're in
presidents of three community colleges
percent on each side with the rest
sync with the broad public perspectives
and Edgar Beckham, coordinator of the
undecided.
on this issue." McCormick said. "The
foundation's Campus Diversity Initiative.
More direct questions on affirmative
fundamental point is that diversity means
"For us, the commitment to diversity
action were deliberately omitted.
19
Beckham said.
percent rejected the statement that
- and household income. 40 percent over
"That is not what we were interested
diversity is results in admission and
$40.000 a year. Elway said.
in." he said.
graduation of "students who wouldn't
More than three-fourths. 78 percent.
The purpose was to learn "how people
otherwise make it" - potentially less than
identified themselves as white. 4 percent
value diversity as an educational resource
half in each case because of the 4.1
black. 3 percent each Asian and
and in terms of educational outcomes"
percent margin of error.
Hispanic. 2 percent Indian and 7 percent
rather than assess views on what should
"No one is saying there's unanimity on
other or racially mixed.
be done to advance those goals. choices
this issue." said McCormick. "but those
Politically, 33 percent said they were
traditionally left to individual
who are in the minority have for too long
more conservative than liberal. 22
institutions, Beckman explained.
in recent years dominated discourse
percent very conservative. 26 percent
Noting recent bans on educational
about it.
more liberal than conservative. 13
affirmative action in California and
"You'd think. to judge from what
percent very liberal and less than 7
elsewhere, Beckman said he hoped the
politicans say on the stump. from a
percent moderate.
poll would boister programs "in the
handful of court decisions, that the
"In most cases. there are not
majority of states where the law of the
American people have turned full sail
significant differences across the
land continues to support positive,
and whole-heartedly and completely
demographic categories." Elway said.
deliberate steps that are meant to increase
against diversity in education - and this
"We looked across the board. and the
the diversity in higher education."
poll sets to rest that impression
responses were pretty uniform."
Questions involving educational
"Most people think that diversity and
While previous surveys lacked enough
quality resulted in some of the sharpest
academic excellence go together."
similar questions to show clearly how
divisions.
Limiting the sample to registered
public sentiment has shifted, the pollster
Fifty-three percent disagreed with the
voters probably contributed to higher
added "my speculation is that we are
statement. "Diversity education is
than typical levels of education - 75
seeing more acceptance (of diversity
nothing more than political correctness,
percent beyond high school and 40
programs) than we might have 10 or 15
which hinders true education." and 54
percent with at least a bachelor's degree
or 20 years ago.
Associated Press
04-25 4:03a
State's schools stand to lose $2 million in reading, math
money
tp2lid
changes aimed at helping poor children
In 1994. Congress called for the use of
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Arkansas will
improve their math and reading skills.
updated census estimates to distribute
lose about $2 million in federal school
In most other states, the number of
Title I money. Without that requirement.
funding this fall because of a drop in the
poor students increased. Sixteen states
money would have been sent out for next
number of students in a reading and math
will see increases of 10 percent or more
year on the basis of poverty estimates
program for poor children,
in their Title I funds. the federal
taken in 1989.
Arkansas is one of 14 states that will
Education Department said this week.
While Title I money is intended to
lose part of its Title I funds from the
Connecticut, where the gap between
help poor children, any child with
federal government. Federal funding for
rich and poor school districts is among
reading or math problems can be eligible
the programs in Arkansas will total $71.3
the greatest in the country, will get nearly
for the classes, said Clearence Lovell.
million during the next school year.
30 percent more funding. Iowa suffers
associate director for Title I at the state
Title I money pays for teachers,
the biggest drop - 6.2 percent.
Education Department.
summer programs and curriculum
Associated Press
04-25 4:07a
Volunteers painting U.S. maps on playgrounds
AP Photo JNO101 of April 24 tp2hou
100 days.
The painters need the ground's surface
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) - At 100
A group including current and retired
temperature to be above 50 degrees for
Arkansas schools, geography soon could.
Southwestern Bell employees paints the
more than 12 hours before beginning
be taught on the playground.
maps and gives the schools
their work. Using a template. they outline
Volunteers on Thursday began
geography-oriented lesson plans and
the states. then paint the states different
painting 20-by-30-foot U.S. maps on
games. It painted a map Thursday at
colors.
playgrounds on school yards across the
University Heights Elementary in
It takes eight volunteers about six
state. They hope to paint 100 maps in
Jonesboro.
hours to finish a map.
10
develop volunteerism programs in their
"That." said Powell. "will be the real
proof of the value of the summit."
communities.
TRADE
The Chronicle of Higher Education [Academe Today]
April 25. 1997
In "Times" Ad, 62 Top Universities Endorse Use of
Race in Admissions
By DOUGLAS LEDERMAN
In a large advertisement in Thursday's
that have undermined admissions policies
in the ad an "outrage" and a "direct
New York Times. the presidents of 62
that take applicants' race into account.
contradiction of the will of the people of
leading research universities endorsed the
Among the chief executives signing
California and the regents of California."
continued use of race as a factor in
the statement were the chancellors of six
He added: "These people are paid to
admissions decisions.
campuses of the University of California
carry out the policies of the institution
The members of the Association of
system. Its Board of Regents voted in
that has hired them. If they don't feel
American Universities tend to focus their
July 1995 to bar all of the system's
comfortable doing that. they should
attention on research issues, but at their
campuses from considering race in
resign."
annual meeting last week. they approved
admissions, hiring, and contracting.
Spokesmen for the California
a statement "On the Importance of
Ward Connerly, a regent who led the
chancellors said that while the leaders
Diversity in University Admissions." The
push for the new policy and for a
had endorsed the published statement,
statement was printed in full in the
successful ballot measure that would ban
they would carry out the university's new
advertisement.
racial preferences statewide, called the
policy.
The endorsement came despite a
involvement of the California campuses
series of court rulings and state referenda
Education Daily
April 25. 1997
IDEA BILL WOULD NEVER ALLOW SCHOOLS TO
CUT OFF SERVICES
A
bipartisan plan negotiated by
agreement obtained by Education Daily
Senate floors over discipline policy.
congressional staff would
says schools would be authorized to
Rep. Frank Riggs. R-Calif., said last
explicitly prohibit schools from
discipline disabled students in the same
month that he would "insist" that IDEA
ceasing services to disabled children,
way they punish nondisabled students, if
allow states to cease services to
effectively overturning a federal appeals
the misbehavior is not a manifestation of
disruptive disabled pupils (ED. March
court decision.
the student's disability: "provided that
20).
The draft bill developed behind closed
there not be a cessation of educational
His staff declined to comment on the
doors would clear the haze of existing
services."
plan yesterday beyond saying Riggs was
law. codifying the Education
Policy Turnaround
pleased with the compromise.
Department's position that special
The
IDEA
amendments
As expected, the IDEA draft would
education. students are guaranteed
draft-released in summary form to
provide greater flexibility to schools
services regardless of any misbehavior
lobbyists late Wednesday-represents a
striving to discipline disabled students.
related or unrelated to their disability.
dramatic about-face from earlier GOP
allowing them to be moved to alternative
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of
bills in the House and Senate that would
placements for 45 days for weapons and
Appeals ruled this year that under the
have allowed schools to cease services
"knowing" drug offenses (ED, April 21).
existing Individuals with Disabilities
when offenses are unrelated to the
But the plan doesn't satisfy some
Education Act (IDEA), a disabled child
student's disability (ED. Jan. 30).
general school groups' wish for more
can forfeit his right to an education
But it is unclear if this sets the stage
sweeping discretion.
through bad conduct (ED, Feb. 7).
for a quick, painless renewal of IDEA or
"It doesn't allow unilateral alternative
A summary of the bipartisan
will lead to battles on the House and
placements in cases of assault."
6
Associated Press
04-24 1:44a For Release 10 a.m. EDT
Other countries making strides in educating work force
WASHINGTON (AP) - Education
innovation. foreign trade and government
of 1990, the United States still led
gains by other countries may be helping
regulation.
Canada, France. Germany, Italy, Japan
whittle the U.S. lead in worker
Still. growth in education appears to
and Britain. However. those other
productivity.
have accounted for an estimated 10
countries were making steady gains.
"The education of the work force,
percent to 20 percent of U.S. productivity
Among the educational trends cited:
according to at least some measures that
growth in the last few decades, the-report
-Young adults in Japan and Germany
contribute to economic success, is
said.
now are finishing high school at about
growing more rapidly in other countries
Rather than presenting new
the same rate as those in the United
than in the United States." the Education
information, the report assembled
States. Young adults in Canada and
Department's National Center for
previously gathered data from a number
Britain are catching up.
Education Statistics said in a report
of sources. The report followed
-The proportion of Americans getting
today.
recommendations by a congressional
a college education is still the highest.
The report took care not to put too
panel for the department to look at a
although the rate among young adults -
much stress on the role of education,
variety of statistics and provide analysis
those 25 to 34 - is comparable in Japan.
saying that financial investment clearly
and commentary.
-Still, U.S. students trail students from
has been behind gains by countries
Productivity is the national value of
many other countries in mathematics and
catching up most quickly with the United
goods and services divided by the
science achievement
States. Other factors are technological
number of workers or hours worked. As
The New York Times
04/24/97; Edition: Late Edition - Final; Section: Section A; National Desk; Page 27, Column I
62.Top Colleges Endorse Bias In Admissions
By KAREN W. ARENSON
thought we should be on the record when
quotas or two-track systems and there is
In an unusual policy statement on the
things are still more fluid."
a consistency of attention to individual
value of diversity in higher education,
Despite bans in California and Texas
applicants, not groups."
the Association of American
on using race in admissions, many
Robert M. Berdahl. the president of
Universities, a prestigious circle of 62 of
educators say affirmative action remains
the University of Texas and a member of
the nation's leading research universities,
the best way to insure diversity on their
the association. was less optimistic about
adopted a resolution this month
campuses. The association's statement
the potential impact of the group's
supporting the right of colleges to use
said the actions in California and Texas,
position. It was his campus that was the
affirmative action in their admissions
together with public debate about
object of the lawsuit involved in the
procedures.
diversity, created "substantial uncertainty
ruling by the United States Court of
The statement, which is contained in
about the future representation of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that barred
an advertisement in The New York
minority students within our student
the use of race as a factor in admissions.
Times today, expressed the group's
bodies."
"strong conviction concerning the
Dr. Rudenstine said members of the
"I don't think it will change the Fifth
continuing need to take into account a
association were concerned that there
Circuit's ruling, Proposition 209 or the
wide range of considerations -
was a widespread misunderstanding that
views of the regents in California," Dr.
including ethnicity, race and gender as
college admissions were based on test
Berdahl said, referring to the California
we evaluate the students whom we select
scores and grades and little else.
ballot initiative that banned the use of
for admission." (This page.)
"But it's more complicated than that,"
race and sex preferences in affirmative
Neil L. Rudenstine, the president of
he said, adding that Harvard used race,
action programs run by the state. "But it
Harvard University, proposed last year
sex and ethnicity, along with many other
does give me a reference point by saying
that the association consider the issue.
factors like character and leadership, in
that I'm not alone on this."
"The higher education community
seeking a diverse student body.
Dr. Berdahl is leaving Texas to
generally," Dr. Rudenstine said, "and our
A Supreme Court decision allows
become Chancellor at the University of
group of 62 universities in particular, had
colleges to take these factors into
California at Berkeley this summer.
not said anything about our position. We
account, he said, "as long as there are no
04:13 EST April 24, 19971
7
Associated Press
04-24- 4:37a
Top U.S. universities endorse affirmative action in
admissions
By SARA SILVER
in our institutions," the group backed
students benefit from studying with
Associated Press Writer
admissions policies "consistent with the
others whose backgrounds are different
NEW YORK (AP) - A group of the
broad principles of equal opportunity and
than their own.
country's most prestigious universities
equal protection."
"If our institutional capacity to bring
has adopted a resolution defending its
The group said bans in California and
together a genuinely diverse group of
right to use race, ethnicity and gender as
Texas on using race in admissions. and a
students is removed - or severely reduced
criteria for selecting students, according
general debate about the goals of
then the quality and texture of
to an advertisement published today in
affirmative action. "have all combined to
education we provide will be
The New York Times.
create substantial uncertainty about the
significantly diminished." the group's
The Association of American
future representation of minority students
advertisement said.
Universities, which includes 62 of the
within our student bodies."
The group includes most members of
top research institutions in the United
The group said it did not support
the Ivy League. private colleges such as
States, adopted the resolution during its
admission quotas or the acceptance of
the Massachusetts Institute of
annual meeting April 14 in Washington,
students who do not meet admissions
Technology, Vanderbilt University and
D.C.
criteria.
leading public universities such as the
Calling diversity a "value that is
But it rejected the use of "narrow"
University of Texas, Austin and the
central to the very concept of education
definitions of merit, and said that
University of California, Berkeley
Philadelphia Inquirer
April 24, 1997
Republicans and Democrats hit Clinton education tax
plan
The package was criticized as inflationary. Its effect on low-income students
was called too limited.
By Rob Wells
deduction, early withdrawals from
substantial material factor in tuition
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Individual Retirement Accounts for
costs," Summers said in an interview
WASHINGTON - The Clinton
college expenses, and tax incentives for
after the hearing.
administration's education tax package
student-loan forgiveness. The package
Summers said the $38 billion package
was sharply criticized at a Senate hearing
will cost $38.4 billion through 2002, the
primarily was aimed at middle-class
yesterday, with Republicans charging it
Treasury Department has said.
taxpayers, but the administration is
would further inflate tuition costs and
Witnesses told the panel the Clinton
proposing to increase the. Pell Grant
Democrats saying it wouldn't do enough
education credits would inflate tuition
program, which is aimed at lower-income
to help low-income students.
costs by effectively subsidizing a portion
people, by $1.7 billion next year and $40
The Senate Finance Committee heard
of college costs.
billion over five years.
some horror stories about rising tuition.
Roth is advocating his own tax-cut
"We're making it possible for kids to
One dental student said she would
package that would let students deduct
go to college without taking on crushing
graduate from the State University of
interest from their student loans, improve
debts," Summers said. He added that the
New York at Buffalo with $90,000 in
tax treatment of state pre-paid tuition
Clinton plan `addresses the middle-class
debts.
plans, and let people save for education
hollow in many colleges," referring to
Senate Finance Committee Chairman
using Individual Retirement Accounts.
student bodies composed of wealthy
William V. Roth Jr. (R., Del.) said tuition
Defending the Clinton package was
students whose families. can afford
at a four-year college increased 234
Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence
tuition and low-income students who
percent between 1980 and 1995. "This is
Summers, who urged Roth not to ``let the
qualified for financial aid based on need.
leading to alarming levels of debts for
fear of inflation prevent us from
Sens. Richard H. Bryan (D.. Nev.) and
our young people," Roth said.
providing assistance."
Bob Graham (D., Fla) closely questioned
The hearing focused on the Clinton
"The fact that families are getting a
Summers about how the education
administration's education tax package,
little help is not a reason why tuitions
package helps low-income people gain
which includes a $1,500 college tax
will increase
access to college.
credit, a maximum $10,000 college tax
I don't think this program would be a
"Are we talking about a program that
Page 9
The New York Times
04/23/97; Edition: Late Edition - Final; Section: Section B; National Desk; Page 7, Column 4
Seeking New Approaches for Diversity
By PETER APPLEBOME
Bans on affirmative action in California and Texas are producing the most concerted efforts since the landmark
Bakke ruling in 1978 to develop alternative approaches that will maintain diversity in higher education without using
race as a factor.
In Texas, for example, the Legislature is considering two measures - one that will admit the top 10 percent of
graduates from all state high schools, another that will use a combination of rankings of high school seniors and
consideration of economic disadvantage to maintain racial and ethnic diversity.
Because nearly all high schools in the state are dominated by a single race - black, white, or Hispanic - using a
percentage of graduates of all high schools would allow the relative segregation to foster diversity in higher
education. Some form of the legislation is considered likely to pass, and Dan Morales, the Texas Attorney General,
said he considered the legislation constitutional and consistent with court directives banning the use of race in
admissions.
Experts disagree heatedly on whether accounting for economic disadvantage or coming up with innovative
admissions plans can substitute for race. But evidence is mounting that the bans on affirmative action in Texas and
California, and under consideration elsewhere; will sharply cut the number of minority students at prestigious
undergraduate and professional schools. "Texas had two choices," said State Senator Royce West, a Democrat,
about the aftermath of last year's ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Hopwood V.
Texas, barring the use of race as a factor in admissions. "We could just follow Hopwood and say, 'To hell with
diversity,' or we could be pro-active and creative in trying to zero out its effects, which is what we're doing. I don't
believe affirmative action is dead in the U.S. But it is broken, and we're trying to fix it."
At the University of Texas Law School, where the Hopwood suit was filed in 1992 by four whites who had been
denied admission, about 800 students, or 80 percent of the fall 1997 class, have been admitted so far. Of those 800
students, only 6 are black and 18 are Mexican-American. Last year 65 black students and 70 Mexican-Americans
were admitted.
Undergraduate acceptance at the entire University of Texas fell to 314 black and 1,333 Hispanic applicants this
year, from 421 black and 1,568 Hispanic applicants in 1996.
In California, although affirmative action in undergraduate admissions does not end until next year, white
applicants to the University of California system, the state's most demanding, rose 10.4 percent this year. The
number of Asian applicants rose 10.8 percent but applications fell 7.7 percent for blacks and 5.8 percent for
Hispanics. In California medical schools, applications from black students have dropped by a quarter and by
Hispanic students by a third over the last two years.
Some experts say it is too early to deduce long-term effects and that the declines in Texas and California could
mean minority annicanti going ala substudies indicate that bans on affirmative action would have
a similar impact.
For instance, a national study of law school admissions by Linda F. Wightman, published in April's New York
University Law Review, found that admissions based on just test scores and grades would return law schools to the
overwhelmingly white classes not seen since the 1960's.
Ms. Wightman's study, for example, found that 26 percent of black law school applicants are currently admitted.
Using just test scores and grades, 3 percent would be, she said. Now, 32 percent of Hispanic applicants are
admitted, compared with Ms. Wightman's estimate of 9 percent in the future.
Similarly, a recent analysis of trends at the University of California by Jerome Karabel, a sociologist at the
University of California at Berkeley, concludes: "Colorblind policies are likely to lead to a substantial resegregation of
American higher education.
The main alternative being discussed is affirmative action based on class and criteria other than race.
"Using race per se is no longer sustainable from a moral, political or legal perspective, so we need to look to
alternatives," said Richard Kahlenberg, a fellow at the Center for National Policy who wrote "The Remedy: Class,
Race and Affirmative Action," (Basic Books, 1996).
"If you come up with a definition of class that is comprehensive and looks at a variety of factors, you can come up
with a system that is fair and provides racial diversity."
But skeptics say class and economic disadvantage are already used in admissions and that the question is not
whether you can include poverty or other factors, but whether you can use race as well.
And many experts say-that even though blacks and Hispanics tend to be disproportionately poor, using class
without race will do little to foster racial and ethnic diversity.
Thomas Kane, an economist at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, says that black
and Hispanic students are three times as likely as whites to have family incomes below $20,000. But because they
Page 9
The New York Times
04/23/97; Edition: Late Edition - Final; Section: Section B; National Desk; Page 7, Column 4
Seeking New Approaches for Diversity
By PETER APPLEBOME
Bans on affirmative action in California and Texas are producing the most concerted efforts since the landmark
Bakke ruling in 1978 to develop alternative approaches that will maintain diversity in higher education without using
race as a factor.
In Texas, for example, the Legislature is considering two measures - one that will admit the top 10 percent of
graduates from all state high schools, another that will use a combination of rankings of high school seniors and
consideration of economic disadvantage to maintain racial and ethnic diversity.
Because nearly all high schools in the state are dominated by a single race — black, white, or Hispanic - using a
percentage of graduates of all high schools would allow the relative segregation to foster diversity in higher
education. Some form of the legislation is considered likely to pass, and Dan Morales, the Texas Attorney General,
said he considered the legislation constitutional and consistent with court directives banning the use of race in
admissions.
Experts disagree heatedly on whether accounting for economic disadvantage or coming up with innovative
admissions plans can substitute for race. But evidence is mounting that the bans on affirmative action in Texas and
California, and under consideration elsewhere; will sharply cut the number of minority students at prestigious
undergraduate and professional schools. "Texas had two choices," said State Senator Royce West, a Democrat,
about the aftermath of last year's ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Hopwood V.
Texas, barring the use of race as a factor in admissions. "We could just follow Hopwood and say, 'To hell with
diversity,' or we could be pro-active and creative in trying to zero out its effects, which is what we're doing. I don't
believe affirmative action is dead in the U.S. But it is broken, and we're trying to fix it."
At the University of Texas Law School, where the Hopwood suit was filed in 1992 by four whites who had been
denied admission, about 800 students, or 80 percent of the fall 1997 class, have been admitted so far. Of those 800
students, only 6 are black and 18 are Mexican-American. Last year 65 black students and 70 Mexican-Americans
were admitted.
Undergraduate acceptances at the entige University of Texas fell to 314 black and 1,333 Hispanic applicants this
year, from 421 black and 1,568 Hispanic applicants in 1996.
In California, although affirmative action in undergraduate admissions does not end until next year, white
applicants to the University of California system, the state's most demanding, rose 10.4 percent this year. The
number of Asian applicants rose 10.8 percent but applications fell 7.7 percent for blacks and 5.8 percent for
Hispanics. In California medical schools, applications from black students have dropped by a quarter and by
Hispanic students by a third over the last two years.
Some experts say it is too early to deduce long-term effects and that the declines in Texas and California could
mean minority applicanti E going glasshere. Butistudies indicate that oth bans on affirmative action would have
a similar impact.
For instance, a national study of law school admissions by Linda F. Wightman, published in April's New York
University Law Review, found that admissions based on just test scores and grades would return law schools to the
overwhelmingly white classes not seen since the 1960's.
Ms. Wightman's study, for example, found that 26 percent of black law school applicants are currently admitted.
Using just test scores and grades, 3 percent would be, she said. Now, 32 percent of Hispanic applicants are
admitted, compared with Ms. Wightman's estimate of 9 percent in the future.
Similarly, a recent analysis of trends at the University of California by Jerome Karabel, a sociologist at the
University of California at Berkeley, concludes: "Colorblind policies are likely to lead to a substantial resegregation of
American higher education.
The main alternative being discussed is affirmative action based on class and criteria other than race.
"Using race per se is no longer sustainable from a moral, political or legal perspective, so we need to look to
alternatives," said Richard Kahlenberg, a fellow at the Center for National Policy who wrote "The Remedy: Class,
Race and Affirmative Action," (Basic Books, 1996).
"If you come up with a definition of class that is comprehensive and looks at a variety of factors, you can come up
with a system that is fair and provides racial diversity."
But skeptics say class and economic disadvantage are already used in admissions and that the question is not
whether you can include poverty or other factors, but whether you can use race as well.
And many experts say-that even though blacks and Hispanics tend to be disproportionately poor, using class
without race will do little to foster racial and ethnic diversity.
Thomas Kane, an economist at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, says that black
and Hispanic students are three times as likely as whites to have family incomes below $20,000. But because they
Page 10
are a minority of the population and of students with high grades and high test scores, only one in six students who
are likely to be admitted to a selective institution using a low-income preference will be black or Hispanic.
"If colleges think that class will keep the same racial diversity ON campus, they are kidding themselves," he said.
The Texas House of Representatives has passed a plan that would admit all students in the top 10 percent of
their high school class to the state university of their choice. Proponents say it would make the relatively segregated
high schools an engine of integration in higher education, would reward merit, and would insure diversity not just in
terms of race but between rural and urban areas throughout the state.
A more complicated plan, approved by the State Senate, would require that half of university admissions be based
solely on a combination of test scores, grades and class rank: 40 percent on academic qualifications and broadly
defined economic or social disadvantages and 10 percent on other factors, ranging from athletic to musical abilities.
"They're both steps in the right direction," Mr. Morales said: consider them race-neutral and believe they would
withstand any constitutional challenge."
Both measures affect undergraduate admissions at state schools, not professional schools, where insuring
diversity in small law or medical school classes is considered much more challenging.
Michael Sharlot, the dean of the University of Texas Law School, said one measure being contemplated would
identify college seniors who had performed better in college than had been anticipated by their initial test scores.
Those students would then be given a stipend to pay for an L.S.A.T. prep test, which can cost as much as $800. The
students would be selected on a race-neutral basis. But one assumption behind the plan is that minority members
often do not perform as well as white students on standardized tests.
No money has been set aside for any of the measures.
Using economic disadvantage in admissions, for instance, would put new burdens on universities to provide
financial aid. And, as has already happened in California where competition for top state schools is far greater, they
could run into political opposition if minority applicants take slots that traditionally go to white students, or the
children of alumni. And Mr. Karabel said that in California, where schools are more diverse, the Texas plans would
either have little effect or would likely benefit Asian students rather than blacks and Hispanics.
California universities have vowed to work to attract minority students but the Board of Regents, not the State
Legislature, holds most of the power to shape university policies. The regents have been key opponents of
affirmative action.
But even two attorneys who represented the plaintiffs in the Hopwood case, Steven W. Smith and Terry Pell, said
the outlines of the plans before the Texas Legislature seemed appropriate and that the goal of insuring genuine
diversity in higher education was a worthy one.
"I don't think the goal should be to sneakily get around Hopwood," said Mr. Pell, an attorney with the Center for
Individual Rights. "But I think states should be trying a lot of different approaches, being pro-active and agressive
and not throwing up their hands and saying the only alternative is test scores or race."
But critics of the Hopwood decision say that although some of the alternatives are worthy, they cannot overcome
the limitations of excluding race as a factor.
"These are good approaches," said Michael A. Olivas, a law professor at the University of Texas, "but they won't
produce the kind of diversity you had before Hopwood. In the end, race is the only proxy for race."
05:15 EDT April 23, 1997
26
Classified staff positions. which receive
because they are rare and valued by
she said. that cuts into opportunities for
an hourly wage and differ from exempt
current employees. said Jane H.
current employees to advance to higher
staff. are not included in the policy.
Baillargeon. Staff Affairs chairwoman.
paying positions.
Classified jobs have been a sore spot
If faculty spouses fill classified jobs.
Associated Press
4-15 10:49p
Republicans take House speaker to school over
his proposals
By DENNIS CONRAD
homework and class uniform ideas since
haven't spoken in favor of the governor's
Associated Press Writer
he was sworn in as speaker in January.
(school-funding reform) plan. as I have."
SPRINGFIELD.
III.
(AP)
The proposals flew out of a House
Republican Gov. Jim Edgar has
Republicans took House Speaker
committee last month on bipartisan 13-1
embraced a proposal that would cut
Michael Madigan to school Tuesday.
and 14-0 roll calls.
property taxes $1.5 billion and generate
And before it was over. the Democrat
With Republicans ridiculing the bills
$1.9 billion through state taxes or budget
who has ruled the Illinois House for 13
and suggesting Madigan had no serious
cuts. The extra $400 million would go
of the last 15 years suffered two
plan for reforming education. the
for schools to assure that per pupil
embarrassing defeats.
proposals received only as many as 52
spending in all districts is at least $4.225
With GOP lawmakers largely
favorable votes on the House floor - eight
a widely accepted minimum standard.
resisting, his proposals on homework and
short of the 60 necessary.
Brian Timpone. a spokesman for
dress codes fell short of passage in the
GOP critics noted that Madigan could
House Minority Leader Lee Daniels.
chamber where Democrats have a slim
not name one school district that doesn't
R-Elmhurst, said Edgar's proposal is not
two-seat majority.
now have a dress code policy and said
a full plan because the details have not
The bills would have required school
his homework proposal did not even
been fleshed out. And Timpone said
boards to draw up their own policies on
have a provision to ensure enforcement.
Daniels does not believe in raising
uniforms and dress codes and a policy
"When I first heard about this bill, I
general taxes to produce a net gain in
regarding doing homework. said Steve
had visions of homework police riding
revenue for school operations.
Brown. Madigan spokesman.
forth knocking on the doors of
Timpone said Daniels has said any
Madigan complained to reporters
children at 8:30 at night and saying, I'm
reform package should include property
afterward about the lack of support from
here to inspect your homework." cracked
tax relief, combined state and local
Republicans but also reiterated his
Rep. William Black, R-Danville, "If you
per-pupil spending of at least $4.225
support for an idea popular with many
don't have iL you may be guilty of a
using existing state resources. a $1
GOP lawmakers in talks over what
felony."
billion public works program for schools
should be in a school-funding reform
Madigan said his bills were defeated
paid with higher gambling taxes. and
measure.
because Republicans had decided to
accountability measures such as an
"I'm prepared to vote to eliminate
make it a "party position" during a
overhaul of the teacher tenure law.
teacher tenure as part of a broad
closed-door meeting before the votes.
Madigan used a parliamentary
legislative package." he said.
"What I'd like to know, what are they
maneuver to reserve his right to call his
Madigan had begun pushing the
for?" the Chicago lawmaker said. "They
bills again in the session.
Associated Press
4-16 1:05a
House approves two bills aimed at diversifying
schools
By PAULINE ARRILLAGA
or ethnicity, are granted the opportunity
about." said Rep. Charlie Howard.
Associated Press Writer
to attend college.
R-Sugar Land, referring to the lawsuit in
AUSTIN (AP) . The Texas House has
But opponents called the legislation a
which four white students argued the
approved two bills that aim to diversify
back-door approach to restoring
University of Texas law school's
enrollment at public universities in the
race-based preferences akin to those
admissions policy unfairly favored
wake of a court ruling eliminating race as
struck down last year by a federal
minorities.
a factor in college admissions.
appeals court.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Supporters said the measures would
"We're giving preferences. and that's
agreed. and state Attorney General Dan
ensure that all students, regardless of race
exactly what the Hopwood case was all
Morales has since directed all public
27
universities to adopt race-neutral policies
the state that they don't have to do good
diversify colleges and universities won
for admissions. financial aid and
in high school to go to college." said
final House approval.
scholarships.
Corte: R-San Antonio. who tried
That measure would require colleges
A bill that Morales said would fit that
unsuccessfully to amend the bill to
and universities to admit a certain
mold was tentatively approved by the
require universities to automatically
number of undergraduates through open
House Tuesday.
admit students who score high on
enrollment. meaning the only
The measure establishes uniform
standardized tests.
requirement for admission would be a
admission procedures under which
Morales. who ignited a furor among
high school diploma or the equivalent.
universities would be required to admit
minority groups when he said the
Colleges with more than 30.000
applicants who graduated in either the
Hopwood ruling must apply to all public
students would have to admit I percent
top 10 or 25 percent of their classes.
universities. called Rangel's measure a
of their undergraduates through open
After filling those slots. universities
good compromise.
enrollment. while schools with fewer
would have to consider. in addition to
"It would really be helpful in terms of
than 30.000 students would be required
academic performance. race-neutral
addressing the fallout of the 5th Circuit
to admit 2 percent through the process.
factors such as economic status and
decision." he said. "The bill would be
The bill's sponsor said it targets
family background.
constitutional and would withstand a
students who. for example. make good
Proponents said the measure would
legal challenge."
grades but fair poorly on standardized
give students of all backgrounds a better
Al Kauffman. regional director of the
tests or who had to work through high
chance at gaining admission to college.
Mexican American Legal Defense and
school to supplement their family's
"This measure is about opportunity. It
Educational Fund. which represents
income.
cuts across all ethnic lines." said Rep.
minority interests in lawsuits against the
"All we're asking is for a few hundred
Hugo Berlanga. D-Corpus Christi.
state. also praised the measure.
students out of a few hundred thousand
The bill's sponsor. Rep. Irma Rangel,
"It will allow students from all around
to be given a shot." said Rep. Tony
D-Kingsville. said. "This bill has nothing
the state to attend Texas colleges and
Goolsby, R-Dallas.
to do with picking one student over
universities." he said.
But others said the bill. like Ms.
another."
The Senate passed a similar bill last
Rangel's. would reward bad students.
But Rep. Frank Corte said the bill
week. Rangel's measure still faces final
"It sends a horrible message to kids
sends the message that social status takes
approval by the House before heading to
that work hard a D-minus equals their
priority over academics.
the Senate for consideration.
efforts," said Rep. Joe Nixon.
"We're telling the young people across
Another bill that also attempts to
R-Houston.
Associated Press
4-16 2:11a
Women likely to join Citadel boards
By BRUCE SMITH
names by the end of the week.
alumni and one at-large member
Associated Press Writer
The Citadel. after a protracted court
appointed by the governor.
CHARLESTON. S.C. (AP) - The
fight. dropped its all-male admissions
As a practical matter. there has never
Citadel's governing board is encouraging
policy last year and enrolled four female
been a female voting member. though
women to run for board seats but will not
cadets. Two of the women dropped out
state Education Superintendent Barbara
actively recruit candidates. board
after a semester, alleging they had been
Nielsen is an ex-officio member.
chairman Jimmy Jones says.
hazed and harassed.
Jones said there is a vacant alumni
The board wants to become more
The military college said 35 women
seat and the next election for a
diverse but "it's not going to be an
have now been accepted for the class of
lawmaker-appointed seat is next year.
affirmative action seat. It's going to be
cadets that will enroll this August.
While the school was first opened to
someone who desires to step forward and
While the advisory council can invite
female cadets just last fall. women have
seek it as the men have," he said.
women members. members of the Board
attended night and graduate classes since
The school announced Tuesday two
of Visitors are. under state law. elected
the 1960s.
women will join the formerly all-male
by alumni or state lawmakers or
"We have a. great. great group of
Advisory Council to the Board of
appointed by the governor.
female graduates from the professional
Visitors, which has no legal authority
"If someone is qualified. we would
and business college and the graduate
over college policy.
welcome them," Jones said.
school." Jones said. "We are certainly
The women have been approached but
The board includes seven Citadel
hopeful someone can be identified in that
have not yet accepted the seats. Retired
graduates elected by the General
group of people and they will seek the
Army Gen. Jack Merritt, the council
Assembly, three members elected by
opportunity to serve The Citadel.'
chairman, said he hoped to release the
4
NATIONAL
Associated Press
04-15 1:05a
Riley sees federal education funds at work in
Vermont
With AP Photo
James Jeffords. chairman of the Senate
home visit for each student at least once
By AARON NATHANS
Labor and Human Resources Committee.
a year.
Associated Press Writer
Some point to Jeffords' committee as
And the Winooski School District
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)
an important step in endorsing Riley's
uses Goals 2000 money to fund such
U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley
proposed funding for education.
programs as community involvement in
pushed for higher standards at an
It is estimated that Vermont will have
strategic planning and establishing
education conference in South
$1.6 million to work with this year in
learning standards.
Burlington.
"If we as a nation and the
Goals 2000 money, up from $1.2 million
Robert Pequignot, principal of the
state of Vermont want to increase the
last year.
John F. Kennedy Elementary School in
educational capacity of young people, we
Riley met with representatives of three
Winooski, said the Goals 2000 funds are
have to understand the meaning of
Vermont schools to hear firsthand how
important to activate the state's resources.
standards." said Riley, who was in
their programs were working.
"We certainly have a great number of
Vermont Monday to check up on how
Montpelier
High
School
resources and training in the state, if you
the state was using federal education
representatives explained to Riley their
have money," Pequignot said.
funds.
internship program, which has University
Jeffords spoke about the challenges
Riley was at a daylong education and
of Vermont students co-teach the class
ahead in education, saying the U.S. was
work force development conference
with the teacher as mentor.
lagging behind countries like Japan,
attended by educators from across
"We consider our interns
Singapore and Germany.
Vermont.
co-professionals instead of students,"
"We have a real education crisis in
Goals 2000. a federal program
said Ed Pelkey, English teacher at
this country, and we haven't made much
designed to improve student academic
Montpelier High School.
progress toward solving it," said Jeffords.
achievement, was signed into law three
Peacham's elementary school
Riley said math and science education
years ago. Vermont is one of nine states
explained its "reading recovery" program
could use some improvement, but gave
that are allowed to waive program
that helps students catch up in reading
U.S. students high marks in reading.
requirements under certain circumstances
classes, as well as a student community
"As I move around the country, there's
and put the money where it sees fit.
service program.
a real change taking place," Riley said.
Several Vermont politicians were at
The Goals 2000 money has allowed
"The American people are getting very
the conference, vocal among them Sen.
Peacham to also have teachers make a
serious about education.'
The New York Times
April 15, 1997
In Shift, U.S. Tells Texas It Can't Ignore Court
Ruling Barring Bias in Collage Admissions
By PETER APPLEBOME
education officials found themselves
decision banning affirmative action was
A month after warning Texas that it
caught between conflicting Education
the law in Texas.
could lose federal financing if it ended
Department and federal court directives,
The Education Department's reversal
affirmative-action programs in its
and after Texas political representatives
also comes at a time when there are
university system, the Department of
in Washington had reacted furiously to
increasing indications that efforts to roll
Education has reversed itself and now
what they saw as an Education
back affirmative action could produce a
says that Texas and two neighboring
Department directive to ignore a federal
drop in minority enrollment at
states must comply with a year-old
court order banning affirmative action.
prestigious universities and professional
federal court decision banning the use of
Separately, Walter Dellinger, the acting
schools.
race as a factor in admissions and
solicitor general of the United States
tt the University of Texas Law
scholarships.
wrote an unusual retort to the Educa Ion
School, for instance, of the 791 students
The change of heart came after Texas
Department, saying the appeals court
Idmitted thus far for the fall 1997 class.
5
about 80 percent of the class. just 5 were
country."
letter was not retracted.
black and 18 were Mexican-American.
The current controversy began with a
"In her zeal to pursue a political
Last year 65 blacks and 70
March 18 letter to Texas legislators from
agenda. will Ms. Cantu be available to
Mexican-Americans were admitted.
Norma Cantu. assistant secretary of
pay the fines and serve the sentence for
Undergraduate acceptances at the
education for civil rights and a former
contempt if she is successful in forcing
university, the state's most prestigious
regional
director
of
the
Texas universities to flout the federal
public university, fell from 421 blacks
Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund.
court's ruling?" Mr. Gramm's March 27
and 1,568 Hispanic applicants in 1996 to
Earlier. the Texas attorney general.
letter read.
314 blacks and 1,333 Hispanic applicants
Dan Morales, had delivered a broad
Last Thursday. citing "confusion"
this year.
opinion that said the Hopwood decision
about the federal government's position
The change in the Education
banned any use of race in admissions and
on the Hopwood ruling, Dellinger wrote
Department's position on affirmative
scholarships in the 5th Circuit. The
a letter to the general counsel of the
action in the Texas university system is
Hopwood ruling said that the Supreme
Education Department saying Hopwood
being viewed as an embarrassment for
Court's 1978 Bakke decision. which
was the law in Texas and must be
the department and a setback for critics
allowed race as one factor among others,
followed.
of the 1996 Hopwood VS. Texas ruling in
was no longer valid. The Supreme Court
On Friday, Ms. Cantu reversed herself
which the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
declined to hear the case, leaving
and wrote State Sen. Rodney Ellis. a
Appeals said that Texas and the two
Hopwood in effect only in Texas,
Democrat, that, absent further legal
other states in its jurisdiction. Louisiana
Louisiana and Mississippi.
review. the Hopwood ruling prohibited
and Mississippi. could not use race as a
Ms. Cantu, in a statement that drew
race-conscious affirmative action for the
factor in admissions and scholarships.
widespread skepticism from legal
purpose of insuring diversity.
The Clinton administration has been a
experts. said Hopwood applied only to
An Education Department spokesman.
consistent supporter of affirmative-action
the facts in place at the University of
Rick Miller. said Ms. Cantu's original
policies. Officials in both the Education
Texas Law School in 1992 when the suit
letter reflected different court rulings on
and Justice Departments say that they
was filed. And she warned that the
affirmative action, and though its view of
believe the Hopwood case was wrongly
federal government could cut off $500
affirmative action in Texas was incorrect,
decided, but that for now it is the law in
million in higher education aid if a
it reflected only a difference of legal
the 5th Circuit.
planned review of desegregation efforts
interpretation. There was no intended
The mixed signals in Texas reflect the
in Texas by the Education Department
threat to withhold federal aid. "There was
uncertainty nationally about the future of
found vestiges of segregation and if the
never a partisan or political agenda," he
affirmative action. Many experts say the
state failed to use all possible remedies,
said.
mixed signals make it increasingly
including affirmative action, to correct
But Terry Pell, a lawyer with the
important for the Supreme Court to
them.
Center for Individual Rights. which filed
clarify its views on when and in what
The letter created enormous confusion
the Hopwood case on behalf of
forms affirmative action is permissible.
among state officials wondering how to
applicants who did not gain admission to
Michael Sharlot, dean of the
deal with conflicting positions. Sen. Phil
the University of Texas Law School. said
University of Texas Law School. said,
Gramm, R-Texas, in a letter of his own to
Ms. Cantu's letter was an effort to ignore
"It's enormously important. not just in
Education Secretary Richard Riley, said
a federal court order.
the selfish view of Texas. which is just
Ms. Cantu's directive had left the state
"She told them to essentially forget
being transformed by following the
"in a withering legal crossfire." and
Hopwood and follow Bakke or I cut off
Hopwood decision, but in terms of how
threatened to hold up financing for the
your federal funds." Pell said. "She was
important the question is for the whole
Education Department if Ms. Cantu's
telling them to disobey the law.
Chicago Tribune
April 15, 1997
U.S. CEDES TO COURT ON AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REVERSES RULING ON RACE-BASED
ADMISSIONS
By New York Times News Service
Education has reversed itself, saying
caught between conflicting Education
Web-posted Tuesday, April 15, 1997;
Texas and two neighboring states must
Department and federal court directives.
6:02 a.m. CDT
comply with a year-old federal court
And Texas representatives in
A month after warning Texas that it
decision banning the use of race as a
Washington had reacted furiously to
could lose federal financing if it ended
factor in admissions and scholarships.
what they saw as an Education
affirmative-action programs in its
The change of heart came after Texas
Department directive to ignore a federal
university system. the Department of
education officials found themselves
court order banning affirmative action.
6
Separately. Walter Dellinger, the
and Justice Departments say that they
Texas Law School in 1992 when the suit
acting U.S. solicitor general, wrote an
believe the Hopwood case was wrongly
was filed.
unusual retort to the Education
decided. but that for now it is the law in
She warned that the federal
Department. saying the appeals court
the 5th Circuit.
government could cut off $500 million in
decision banning affirmative action was
The mixed signals in Texas reflect the
higher education aid if a planned review
the law in Texas.
uncertainty nationally about the future of
of desegregation efforts in Texas by the
The Education Department's reversal
affirmative action. Many experts say it is
Education Department found vestiges of
also comes at a time when there are
increasingly important for the Supreme
segregation and if the state failed to use
increasing indications that efforts to roll
Court to clarify its views on when and in
all possible remedies. including
back affirmative action could produce a
what forms affirmative action is
affirmative action. to correct them.
drop in minority enrollment at
permissible.
The letter created enormous confusion
prestigious universities and professional
Michael Sharlot, dean of the
among officials wondering how to deal
schools.
University of Texas Law School, said,
with conflicting positions.
At the University of Texas Law
"It's enormously important, not just in the
Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas). in a letter
School. for instance, of the 791 students
selfish view of Texas. which is just being
of his own to Education Secretary
admitted thus far for the fall 1997 class,
transformed by following the Hopwood
Richard Riley, said Cantu's directive had
about 80 percent of the class, just 5 were
decision. but in terms of how important
left the state "in a withering legal
black and 18 were Mexican-American.
the question is for the whole country."
crossfire." and threatened to hold up
Last year 65 blacks and 70
The current controversy began with a
financing for the Education Department
Mexican-Americans were admitted.
March 18 letter to Texas legislators from
if Cantu's letter was not retracted.
Undergraduate acceptances at the
Norma Cantu, assistant secretary of
"In her zeal to pursue a political
university, the state's most prestigious
education for civil rights and a former
agenda, will Ms. Cantu be available to
public university, fell from 421 blacks
regional
director
of
the
pay the fines and serve the sentence for
and 1.568 Hispanic applicants in 1996 to
Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund.
contempt if she is successful in forcing
314 blacks and 1,333 Hispanic applicants
Earlier, the Texas attorney general,
Texas universities to flout the federal
this year.
Dan Morales, had delivered a broad
court's ruling?" Gramm's March 27 letter
The change in the Education
opinion that said the Hopwood decision
read.
Department's position on affirmative
banned any use of race in admissions and
Last Thursday, citing "confusion"
action in the Texas university system is
scholarships in the 5th Circuit. The
about the federal government's position
being viewed as an embarrassment for
Hopwood ruling said that the Supreme
on the Hopwood ruling, Dellinger wrote
the department and a setback for critics
Court's 1978 Bakke decision. which
a letter to the general counsel of the
of the 1996 Hopwood vs. Texas ruling in
allowed race as one factor among others,
Education Department saying Hopwood
which the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
was no longer valid.
was the law in Texas and must be
Appeals said that Texas and the two
The Supreme Court declined to hear
followed.
other states in its jurisdiction, Louisiana
the case, leaving Hopwood in effect only
On Friday, Cantu reversed herself and
and Mississippi, could not use race as a
in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
wrote State Sen. Rodney Ellis. a
factor in admissions and scholarships.
Cantu, in a statement that drew
Democrat, that, absent further legal
The Clinton administration has been a
widespread skepticism from legal
review, the Hopwood ruling prohibited
consistent supporter of affirmative-action
experts. said Hopwood applied only to
race-conscious affirmative action for the
policies. Officials in both the Education
the facts in place at the University of
purpose of insuring diversity
Associated Press
04-15 12:37p
Clinton honors Robinson, recognizes Woods'
victory
By SONYA ROSS
for being in the city: to observe the 50th
been," Clinton asked the students, if they
Associated Press Writer
anniversary of Robinson's rise to first
were offered the chances given to
NEW YORK (AP) - Using baseball's
baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers,
Robinson and Woods and they had
Jackie Robinson and golf's Tiger Woods
which integrated baseball.
failed to develop their skills in baseball
as examples, President Clinton today
"In the days when Jackie Robinson
or golf.
urged young people to "do just what the
broke into baseball, someone had to
"Even with no barriers, not everybody
champions do" and prepare for the day
make a decision that this racial prejudice
is going to be able to play baseball like
when they, too, transcend barriers in
was a stupid, dumb thing," Clinton said.
Jackie Robinson did," the president said.
pursuit of their dreams.
"But he still had to play baseball. He
"But you can all have some dream.
The president went to Andries Hudde
had to maintain his dignity, waiting for
You've got to do just what the champions
Junior High School in Brooklyn to
that chance and never knowing for sure it
do. You have to work for it. And you've
address an anti-smoking rally. Somehow,
was going to come.
got to take care of your mind and your
he wed that message to his other purpose
"Think what a downer it would have
body."
14
show the use of certain drugs among
use among youngsters. despite the
Jana Kay Slater. a research and
teens is increasing. For instance. a recent
program's popularity.
evaluation consultant for the California
University of Michigan study showed
In a 1993 study. the U.S. General
Department of Education. said the
that among 8th graders marijuana use
Accounting Office issued a report
department decided against publishing
tripled from 6 percent to 18 percent
criticizing the federal government for
Brown's report and that it did not agree
between 1991 to 1996.
failing to introduce drug-awareness
with all its conclusions.
"There is not a scientifically sound
programs that identified strategies other
The Justice Department report on
study that shows DARE prevents kids
than those using the no-use theme.
crime prevention programs recommends
from using drugs." said Joel H. Brown.
Officials at DARE America and the
that more drug-prevention and other
director of Educational Research
California Department of Education
anti-crime efforts devote more resources
Consultants. Berkeley. Calif.-based firm
strongly dispute Brown's contentions.
to communities where substance abuse
that conducted the three-year study for
Ralph Lochridge. spokesman for
and violence occur more frequently.
the state education department.
DARE. said numerous studies. including
The report said some programs
"Kids want to have real discussions of
one released two years ago by Ohio State
showed promise. including increased
drugs -not just hear 10 ways to Just Say
University. show that DARE is
police patrols in high-crime areas. drug
No." said Brown. adding that the $3
succeeding in getting kids to resist drugs
treatment in prisons and home visits by
million study. though confined to
over the short term. The failure results
social-service workers for infants in
California youths. was the biggest of its
from a lack of involvement among
troubled families.
kind in the nation. "When kids get old
parents and community groups to
Officials at DARE say they already
enough they reject those messages and
reinforce what DARE is teaching, he
have launched a pilot program called
the ones bringing the message."
said.
DARE Plus. an after-school program that
Brown's findings are similar to those
"DARE is not a magic bullet -it's
offers chess. gardening clubs. tutorial
in several other studies.
just one little piece." Lochridge said.
help and recreational activities in several
In 1991. a report prepared by the
"The problem is that the parents of these
inner-city schools.
Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Triangle
kids are Baby Boomers who
The programs are being operated in
Research Institute for the U.S. Justice
experimented with drugs themselves.
New York. Los Angeles. Washington.
Department concluded that DARE was
They are reluctant to send a clear
D.C., and at Dett School on Chicago's
largely unsuccessful in preventing drug
message about the dangers of drug use."
Southwest Side.
The Sacramento Bee
04/15/97; Section: MAIN NEWS
TEXAS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BAN OK'D
By Peter Applebome
The Education Department's reversal
Cheryl Hopwood, a white graduate of
New York Times
also comes at a time when there are
California State University. Sacramento.
A month after warning Texas it could
increasing indications that efforts to roll
who was rejected for admission to the
lose federal financing if it ended
back affirmative action could produce a
University of Texas Law School.
affirmative-action programs in its
drop in minority enrollment at
The Clinton administration has been
university system. the U.S. Department
prestigious universities and professional
a consistent supporter of affirmative
of Education has reversed itself and now
schools.
action policies. Officials in the Education
says Texas and two neighboring states
At the University of Texas Law
and Justice departments say that they
must comply with a year-old federal
School. for instance, of the 791 students
believe the Hopwood case was wrongly
court decision banning the use of race as
admitted thus far for the fall 1997 class,
decided, but that for now it is the law in
a factor in admis sions and scholarships.
about 80 percent of the class, just five
the 5th Circuit.
The change came after Texas
were African American and 18 were
The mixed signals in Texas reflect
education officials found themselves
Latino. Last year 65 African Americans
the uncertainty nationally about the
caught between conflicting Education
and 70 Latinos were admitted.
future of affirmative action. Last week. a
Department and federal court directives,
The change in the Education
three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit
and after Texas political representatives
Department's position on affirmative
Court of Appeals upheld California's
in Washington had reacted furiously to
action in the Texas university system is
Proposition 209. a 1996 initiative that
what they saw as an Education
being viewed as an embarrassment for
prohibits discrimination and preferences
Department directive to ignore a federal
the department and a setback for critics
based on race or gender in the
court order banning affirmative action.
of the 1996 Hopwood vs. Texas ruling,
employment, contracting and educational
Separately, Walter Dellinger, the
in which the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
programs of state and local agencies.
acting solicitor general of the United
Appeals said that Texas and the two
The current controversy began with
States, wrote an unusual retort to the
other states in its jurisdiction. Louisiana
a March 18 letter to Texas legislators
Education Department, saying the
and Mississippi, could not use race as a
from Norma Cantu. assistant secretary of
appeals court decision banning
factor in admissions and scholarships.
education for civil rights. and a former
affirmative action was the law in Texas.
One of the plaintiffs in the case was
official of the Mexican-American Legal
15
Defense and Educational Fund.
it was illegal for the University of
The letter created enormous
Earlier. Texas Attorney General Dan
California, Davis. Medical School to
confusion among state officials
Morales had delivered a broad opinion
discriminate in favor of minorities in:the
wondering how to deal with conflicting
that said the Hopwood decision banned
admissions process. Four other justices
positions. Sen. Phil Gramm. R-Texas. in
any use of race in admissions and
said such affirmative action was legal to
a letter of his own to Education Secretary
scholarships in the 5th Circuit. The
make up for past discrimination.
Richard Riley. said Cantu's directive had
Hopwood ruling said that the Supreme
Cantu. in a statement that drew
left the state "in a withering legal
Court's 1978 Bakke decision. which
widespread skepticism from legal
cross-fire." and he threatened to hold up
allowed race as one factor among others,
experts. said Hopwood applied only to
financing for the Education Department
was no longer valid. The Supreme Court
the facts in place at the University of
if Cantu's letter was not retracted.
declined to hear the case. leaving
Texas Law School in 1992 when the suit
On Friday. Cantu reversed herself
Hopwood in effect only in Texas.
was filed. And she warned that the
and wrote that. absent further legal
Louisiana and Mississippi.
federal government could cut off $500
review. the Hopwood ruling prohibited
In the Bakke case. four justices said
million in higher education aid.
race-conscious affirmative action.
The New York Times
04/16/97: Edition: Late Edition - Final: Section: Section B; National Desk; Page 9, Column 1
Mixed Results for Public School Proponents
By PETER APPLEBOME
students made up 77 percent of the
enrolling their children in local public
JACKSON. Miss. - No one is saying
district. and white students 23 percent.
schools. members of the group focus on
that the future of public education comes
Now the district's 32,414 students are
concerns like bond issues. overcrowding
down to a group started by 20 parents
87.7 percent black and 11.6 percent
or alternative schools. Through
here in Mississippi's capital.
white. Of the four elementary schools
conferences. literature and joint planning,
But as big-city schools continue to
with a substantial white enrollment -
members share information on common
lose white and middle-class minority
where much of the group's energy was
education problems and strategies for
students and as alternatives to public
originally focused - all have seen a
addressing them.
education like systems using school
significant decline in the percentage of
In Cincinnati, the chapter helped
vouchers continue to hover on the
whites
in
recent
years.
organize support for two successful bond
horizon. there is an intriguing glimpse of
And such declines are occurring
issues in recent years. and has organized
American education in that group,
throughout the country. as highlighted by
a public rally for public education.
Parents for Public Schools.
a recent study by the Harvard Graduate
Brewster Rhoads. vice president of the
The group, which got its start in 1989
School of Education. which found the
Cincinnati chapter, said. "I think it's
at a gathering of mostly affluent white
fastest rate of school resegregation since
absolutely essential that parents become
parents in the living room of Dick
the Supreme Court's landmark 1954
more involved than they've ever been.
Molpus. who was then Mississippi's
ruling in Brown V. Board of Education.
not just in supporting their own kids'
Secretary of State. began with a simple
"There are a lot of people in the
school. but also in making sure that the
idea: If parents want to support and
country in a lot of different roles who are
community at large rededicates itself to
nurture public schools, they should put
in a sense desperate for ways to make
making sure that public schools work."
their children in them. Out of that idea
public education work, so I think an
In Jackson, members of Parents for
has grown a national organization that
organization like this has enormous
Public Schools say the continued shift in
now includes minority parents and has 50
potential," said M. Hayes Mizell. a
the racial balance of the schools reflects
chapters in 22 states. The chapters work
member of the group's board who works
in part the growth of the black
on a long-term basis to upgrade public
on education with the Edna McConnell
population.
education in entire communities or
Clark Foundation in New York. "But a
"If it wasn't for Parents for Public
school districts.
broad philosophical kind of support for
Schools, this would probably be an
Despite some successes, however,
education will only take you so far. And
all-minority district today," said Kelly
Parents for Public Schools is also a case
that's why unless you really come to
Butler, the group's executive director.
study in the limits of good intentions
grips with an improvement agenda, and
"We put a thumb in the dike even if we
when it comes to revitalizing public
you really strike at the heart of what
didn't completely reverse the tide."
education.
education is all about. the general notion
Consequently, the group has changed
Although the group's growth is a
of supporting public education can take
its focus from recruiting white parents to
signal that many others want to embrace
you only so far."
building alliances of parents of different
its philosophy that healthy public schools
In some ways, the growth of Parents
races and economic backgrounds to find
are fundamental to the nation's future,
for Public Schools has been remarkable.
solutions to problems in the schools.
even here in Jackson the percentage of
Its 50 chapters are in places as diverse as
Here in Jackson. for example. the
whites in the schools continues to
Greenville, S.C.; Waco. Tex.; Ellenville,
chapter president is white but the
dwindle.
N.Y.: Teaneck, N.J.; Los Angeles,
chairman of the task force that deals with
In the 1988-89 school year, black
Cincinnati and Cleveland. Beyond
specific issues is black, and the board is
12
Education Daily
April 11, 1997 Category: Trade
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION LIMITS LIKELY
AFTER COURT RULING
S
chools and colleges that were
students.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of
already scaling back affirmative
Wilson said the result has been that
Appeals ruled in Hopwood V. Texas
action programs may be forced to
about half of the free tuition now goes to
(95-1773) that diversity doesn't justify
limit them even further, in light of a
black students.
using race as an admissions factor (ED,
federal appeals court ruling this week.
Such scholarships won't disappear,
March 21, 1996).
From student aid to high school
Wilson said, but schools "may say, 'We'll
Norma Cantu, ED's assistant secretary
outreach, many observers believe schools
give them to disadvantaged students
for civil rights, has said colleges may still
must continue to shift their emphasis
instead.' Other states will do the same
consider race and ethnicity in admissions,
from race-based programs to efforts that
thing."
student aid and dropout prevention to
target a larger segment of
He said that's a setback for black
promote diversity (ED, March 27). But
"disadvantaged" students.
students. "It will narrow down the
Texas Attorney General Dan Morales
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of
number of minorities that will have the
says state colleges can consider those
Appeals on Tuesday upheld California's
opportunity to go to these fine schools."
factors only if bias is still present and the
Proposition 209, which outlaws
remedies are "narrowly tailored."
affirmative action in public college
Complaint Brought Changes
The Supreme Court declined to
admissions and state hiring (ED, April
A conservative group that challenged
review Hopwood because the law school
8). The decision is expected to spur
Maryland's minority scholarships, the
already had abandoned the policy,
similar initiatives in up to a dozen other
Washington Legal Foundation, also
although two justices expressed an
states.
prompted the Education Department to
interest in hearing a case involving an
Supporters of race and gender
investigate minority student aid at a
active issue (ED, July 2, 1996).
preferences are discouraged by a
Florida university in a case that ED
The justices might grant themselves
nationwide erosion of diversity in student
settled recently.
that opportunity next year in Board of
enrollment at schools and colleges, while
Florida Atlantic University's Martin
Education of Piscataway V. Taxman
foes say affirmative action is all but dead.
Luther King Scholarship was restricted to
(96-679), in which a white teacher is
"Racial and gender preferences are on
black applicants since 1984, but the
challenging a New Jersey school board's
their way out," said Jennifer Neison,
school recently changed its criteria so
decision to fire her in favor of a black
executive director of the American Civil
that race is only one factor in deciding
teacher with the same seniority and
Rights Institute (ACRI) in Sacramento,
who gets the aid.
qualifications (ED, Jan. 22).
Calif. ACRI founder Ward Connerly, a
ED's Office for Civil Rights said the
The High Court has asked the Clinton
regent at the University of California,
race-based scholarship was "legally
administration for its opinion in the case,
spearheaded the state's constitutional
supportable," but OCR advised the
but the justices have not yet decided
amendment outlawing affirmative action.
school that using race as a "plus factor,"
whether to grant a review.
Down But Not Out
instead of making race the sole eligibility
Even if the justices accept the case.
But Reginald Wilson, senior scholar for
criterion, could "strengthen the legal
however, arguments wouldn't take place
the American Council on Education, says
support" for the program.
until the Court's 1997-98 term.
there is still room for affirmative action
The university's new criteria for the
Helping Hand Retracted
in education.
scholarship include financial need, grade
Absent any more guidance from the
"The announcement of its death is
point average and community service.
Court, Nelson said the national trend to
premature," Wilson said.
OCR says the new policy complies
curtail affirmative action also will
"But certainly it does not bode well.
with ED's five-point guidance on
eliminate outreach programs targeted
[Affirmative action] is being narrowly
race-targeted financial aid, specifically a
only at minorities.
defined and will be harder to
section that says schools may use student
She said about 30 percent of the
implement."
aid to promote diversity as long as the
University of California's outreach
Wilson pointed to the scholarships
program is "narrowly tailored" (ED, Feb.
programs in high schools are aimed only
only for black students at the University
24, 1994):
at minorities.
of Maryland, which the U.S. Fourth
Changing Climate
Isabelle Garcia, a lobbyist for the
Circuit Court of Appeals rejected in
But that policy is in doubt elsewhere. At
National Education Association, said
Podberesky V. Kirwan (38 F.3d 147)
the University of Texas, officials are
students and educators still need
because the school did not link recent
blaming a 23 percent drop in minority
programs to overcome barriers.
racial problems to past segregation (ED,
applications partly on a 1996 federal
"Affirmative action is still as important
Oct. 31, 1994).
court ruling that struck down a university
in education today as it was yesterday,"
After the U.S. Supreme Court
law school admissions policy that
she said.
declined to review the case, the
considered race as a factor.
-Dave Boyer
university opened the scholarships to all
43
Los ANGELES TIMES
Now for the Real School Work
BB approval clears the way for addressing problems of learning
The painters started work at Vine Street
When a new school superintendent is chosen
Elementary School near Hollywood Wednes-
The retiring superintendent, Std Thompson,
soon, he or she can concentrate more on the
day. just hours after 71% of the voters surpris-
says he used to lie awake at night trying to fig-
district's 670,000 students and less on how to fix
ingly approved a $2.4-billion repair and con-
are out how to make the numbers add up. Now
struction bond measure for the Los Angeles
leaking roots, broken tollets, failing celling dies
that Proposition EB has passed, the real work of
Unified School District Proposition BB was the
and cracked asphalt on deteriorating campuses.
educational repair also can begin.
first LA. school bond monsure to overcume the
Proposition 13 requirement of approval by two-
thirds of those voting, & hurdle that until Tues-
day had seemed insurmountable
AMERICAN STATESMAN (AUSTIN, TX)
APR
A14
Mayor Richard Riordan's reslection bid had
been expected to draw a low turnout of mostly
conservative voters who tend /distrust the
Uphold affirmative action
beleaguared school district and traditionally
oppose any property tax hike. But Riordan, a
longtime advocute of public education who
often backs his views with his personal check-
T
he courts have been busily die-
went to only 75 Asian Americans, 18
mantifing the progress toward ed-
Mexican Americans, seven Native
book. actively urged support of the bond ches-
ucational integration. We have
Americans, five African Americans and
sure. The Los' Angeles school board also
gone backward so fast that it is almost
12 other minorities.
as though the 1954 Brown va. Board of
reduced skepticism by approving a citizen
That precipitous plunge is primarily
oversight committee to help ensure that the
Education ruling had just happened. Do
due teams appeals court ruling In 1996,
bond money would be efficiently spent at the
WD have to wait for the reappearance of
the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
squarate "white" and "colored" drink-
held that a separate admissions com-
voters intended
ing fountains before we figure out we're
mittee to consider black and Mexican
Latino voters helped propel Proposition BE
going in the wrong direction?
American applicants was discrimina-
to victory, going to the polls at more than dou-
Harvard Graduate School of Educa-
tory Texas Attorney General Dan
ble their rate of participation in the last may
researchars 5.5 That the na-
Morales followed 11 up with a disputed
oral election and oclipaing the percentage of
don's schools are becoming resegregat-
Interpretation of the ruling that has pro-
black voters for the first time in the city's his-
ed at a clip unequalled since Brown VS.
hibited Texas colleges and universities
tory. Many first-time Latino voters were moti-
Board, The New York Times reported
generally from using race as a factor in
vated, according to exit poiling for Spanish-
this week. As the federal
admissions and financial
language media, by last year's federal welfare
courts have made it east-
aid policies.
reform. which cut off government assistance to
er to abandon desegrega-
The Legislature
Certainly UT and other
many legal immigrants, and by the 1994 state-
tion, integration has de-
institutions should ex-
teriorated in the public
should challenge
wide voter approval of Proposities 187, which
plere every creative way
schools. Alding the ret-
the court ruling
que 8 B
would ban public services, including education,
rograde movement is the
minorities without vio-
to illegal immigrants. (It is DOW stailed in the
probability that many
by enacting laws
lating the law, including
courts). Latino voters are a natural constitu-
parents don't see into-
that attempt to
giving weight to those
ency for the public schools here because their
gration as an education-
children make up nearly 70% of LAUSD
al goal, some analysts
overcome the
who have financial need,
er are the first in their
enrollment.
told the Thuse.
high bar the
family to go to college, or
In the San Fernando Valley, there was one
But integration of the
divisive, last-ditch effort to defeat the propost-
schools and improvement
court has raised
who have some special
ability
tion. A group led by Assemblyman Tom
of educational opportu-
to affirmative
But more than that, the
MeClintock (R-Northridge) cynically warned
nity are inseparable Seg-
Legislature should chal-
that the band measure would discourage efforts
regation is bad for Amer-
action.
lenge the court ruling by
to break up the massive school district. More
ican education and bad
enacting laws that at-
voters were apparently persuaded by another
for America.
tempt to overcome the
Valley political Leader, former Assembiyman
This society needs to reaffirm affir:
high bar the court has raised to affir-
Richard Kats, who tirelessly helped direct the
mative action as a remedy for the lin-
mative action. Morales himself has en-
political campaign that supported the measure.
garing effects of past practices and to
dorsed a measure by state Rep. Irma
Proposition BB funds will cost the average
help ensure that America is one nation,
Rangel, D-Kingsville, that would allow
homeowner roughly $66 per year, allowing the
not several
a student's race to be considered under
district to pay for pressing physical needs such
Efforts are needed at every level to put
certain circumstances. It would allow
as wiring every classroom for computers. pro-
our national feet back on the path of
the Legislature to declare that past acts
progress. If there were no other indica-
of discrimination have a residual effect
viding air-conditioning at the hottest schools,
performing maintenance work that has been
tor of how quickly progress can be re-
today Colleges and universities could
versed, this one would suffice: Last year.
then consider race or ethnicity in ad-
put off for years and building 'classrooms to
the University of Texas law school of-
missions for five years.
mest rising enrollments.
fered admission to 98 Asian Americans,
Go for it. If the courts turn it back.
70 Mexican Americans, 11 Native Amer-
pass another bill Meantime, Congress
icans, 65 African Americans and 25
and the president should work together
other minorities. This year, the school
on laws that will overcome the courts'
has made nearly 80 percent of its w
determined attempt to turn back the
inission offers for the fail. and offers
clock.
The Wall Street Journal, 4/10/97, P. 1
Class Action: Need, as a Substitute
For Race Preferences, Is Just as Hot an Issue
Texas Warmed to the Idea, Then Projections Showed
Minorities Falling Behind --convolutions at Lowell High
By G. Pascal Zachary
The fight over class may not be a
such disadvantage so much that
appealing to some people because it
class act.
many middle-class minorities would
preserves the most desirable feature
When a federal court last year
still have a chance to qualify.
of affirmative action - improving
stopped Texas from admitting
State Sen. Royce West, an
opportunities for the needy - and
students to its universities on the
African-American Democrat from
removes the most controversial
basis of race, the state hardly
Dailas, defends the tactic, saying he
aspect - apportioning benefits
flinched. It figured minority
only supports class-based preferences
according to the size of racial and
enrollments could still be maintained
as a means of increasing the chances
ethnic groups. Last October,
at current levels by switching to
that more minorities will be enrolled.
presidential candidate Robert Dole
preferences for poor or socially
"I won't divide middle-class and
endorsed the idea. House Speaker
disadvantaged students.
lower-class minorities," he says. "I
Newt Gingrich has spoken favorably
But some now worry this won't be
won't do that."
about it. Even some Democrats, such
the case. Recently, a panel of
Not everybody in the Lone Star
as Sen. Joseph Lieberman of
sociologists, advising Texas
State feels that way, of course. "It
Connecticut, are intrigued.
Edueation-Commissioner Kenneth
is inappropriate that a wealthy
Proponents insist that class-based
Ashworth, predicted that substituting
minority child be given a preference
preferences offer a way out of the
income or a mix of socioeconomie
over an impoverished Anglo," says
political quagmire of affirmative
factors for race would cut the number
Texas State Sen. Teal Bivins, a white
action, and they also point to the
of blacks and Hispanics admitted to
Amarillo Republican who believes a
need to more directly address a
state universities by half.
class-preference system is workable.
widening education gap between
A class-based system would draw
Clearly, the idea of substituting
more-affluent students, of any race,
on a pool of blacks and Hispanics
for race in education is a
and poorer ones. According to a
roughly equal to the current number
hot age. Most civil-rights advocates
study of government and university
of applicants. But half of the pool
hate the concept, but the courts
data by Thomas Mortenson, an
would be considered to be no more
are increasingly pushing for
educational analyst in Iowa City,
disadvantaged than whites in the
alternatives to sweeping race-based
Iowa, a youth whose family income
same situation - and thus would
programs. Earlier this week, in fact, a
was in the top quartile was four times
likely lose spots to whites who
three-judge panel on San
more likely in 1979 to have earned a
traditionally have better grades and
Francisco's Ninth Circuit Court of
bachelor's degree than one whose
test scores.
Appeals upheld California's ban,
family income was in the bottom
The finding has touched off a furor
enacted by voters last year, on racial
quartile. By 1994, the wealthier
among those already upset by the
and gender preferences in state
youth was 10 times more likely to
growing legal assault on traditional
hiring and school-admissions policies.
gain a degree than the poor one.
affirmative-action programs, and it
A vanguard of educators, fearing
"Switching to class from race
is fueling attempts by some Texas
legal challenges, is already moving
would be a grand bargain that
legislators to either circumvent OF
toward class criteria. Last year, an
satisfies both liberals and
blunt class-based affirmative action.
elite public high school in San
conservatives," says Richard
In the state House, one pending
Francisco adopted needs-based
Kahlenberg, a fellow at
bill would require admission of the
criteria for admitting a fifth of its
the Center for National Policy and
top 10% of each high school,
freshmen; the University of Virginia
author of "The Remedy: Class, Race
assuring the entry of students at
has opened to all low-income
and Affirmative Action."
largely black and Hispanic schools
students a scholarship previously only
But as the Texas episode shows,
regardless of their national test
available to blacks; and Colorado
most members of minority groups
scores. The Senate is pondering a
asked its biggest university to award
and most liberals are strongly
radical proposal that would set aside
certain scholarships on the basis
opposed to any system that markedly
fully 40% of university admissions
of socioeconomic background, not
decreases preferences for blacks and
for poor or disadvantaged students,
race
Hispanics, even if they are middle
but would widen the definition of
Substituting class for race is
class.
More
3
(2)
They feel the effects of
But finding those ways takes work
less likely to be viewed as a free ride
discrimination are still so pervasive
- and a willingness to stick with
for blacks, Ms. Woodford, now a
and myriad that even well-off
the race-neutral rules in the face of
senior, thought.
members of minorities need special
entrenched opponents who may
To select its "value-added"
consideration.
resort to subterfuge. Indeed, the
students, an admissions committee,
So controversial is the subject in
experience of San Francisco's Lowell
composed of parents, students,
liberal communities that some who
High School illustrates just how hard
teachers and administrators, devised a
support the notion are reluctant to say
it is for government to maintain
detailed numerical formula. Four
so. "It's a great idea because
its resolve even when it publicly
points were given for poverty and
it would extend opportunity to those
adopts class preferences.
another four points for social
who need it," says one liberal
Unlike other public schools in the
disadvantage, out of a maximum of
member of Congress. "But I won't
city, Lowell admits students
13 points. For example, a student
even mention it in public because the
competitively, based on a
could gain two points if family
civil-rights lobby - my friends and
combination of test scores and
income fell below $18,600 (for a
supporters - would clobber me."
grades. A 1983 court order, however,
family of four), another two points
Practical problems also loom. A
mandated that the district achieve
for living in public housing or
massive infusion of low-income
better racial balance in its schools.
qualifying for a free school lunch.
students into public universities
One effect was to limit
The new process resulted in about
would require "a costly increase in
Chinese-American
55 disadvantaged white and Asian
financial aid," says Thomas Kane, a
students, who made up the largest
students winning admission to
Harvard University economist who
group of high-scoring applicants, to
Lowell, virtually none of whom
has studied the question. In Texas
roughly 40% of the class. This meant
would have been admitted under the
alone, aid levels will have to double
that hundreds of Chinese applicants
old formula. Lilian Meng, a
or even triple to absorb more
with higher scores than whites and
Chinese-American, was accepted a
low-income students. Moreover, few
other Asians were denied entry.
year ago despite having a score that
children who are truly impoverished,
Many black and Hispanics,
would have disqualified her in the
in a rural backwater or a devastated
meanwhile, were admitted with lower
past. The daughter of Chinese
inner city, have the preparation
scores than either whites or Asians.
immigrants who don't speak English,
needed to survive at an elite college
In response to a lawsuit, the school
Ms. Meng speaks English
or high school.
board last year established a
impeccably. When she
"If we use class, we can admit all
single cutoff score for all races, but
received her acceptance letter, "I was
the minority students we want, but
set aside 20% of the freshman
so surprised I screamed at the
my fear is that we will end up
class for those with lower scores. The
top of my lungs."
admitting the lowest-income,
criteria for selection in the
But the school district was
least-educated, least-prepared
set-aside group was supposed to be a
purposely vague about how black and
minority students," says Mr.
mix of socioeconomic factors that
Hispanic students would be treated
Ashworth, the Texas education
included living in public housing,
under the set-aside program. In a
commissioner. This could worsen a
income level and "extenuating"
motion adopted by the school board,
"negative stereotype, that the
circumstances, such as a violent
the district was given authority to
minorities we have aren't ready to
trauma. To be considered for
give "special consideration" to
compete," he adds:
admissions under this value-added
minority students. In interviews,
Nonetheless, schools that wish to
program, an applicant still had to post
district officials now concede that, in
maintain diverse enrollments may
a minimum test score.
fact, all 136 black and Hispanic
have no alternative but to adopt
The plan, initially at least, defused
applicants who were admitted under
class-based admissions. The federal
the controversial test-score
the set-asides were exempted from
courts, led by the U.S. Supreme
issue which had upset
socioeconomic screening. This group
Court, seem bent on permitting racial
Chinese-Americans. Some blacks and
accounted for 78% of all blacks and
preferences only to remedy proven
Hispanics also embraced it, under a
Hispanics admitted last year.
discrimination. The scramble in
theory that it would help case what
"They never went through the
Texas came after a federal appeals
some saw as the "stigma" attached to
process," confirms Marsha Cohen,
court ordered the University of Texas
such students who had been admitted
who chairs Lowell's admissions
Law School to stop taking the race of
with lower test scores.
committee. She says the district told
its applicants into account. The
Monique Woodford, an
her that "in order to have enough"
University of Colorado this year
African-American who was admitted
black and Hispanic students, "it made
stopped awarding black-only
to Lowell without the aid of
no sense to review their files."
financial aid, fearing a legal
affirmative action, ran into the stigma
That decision smacks of hypocrisy
challenge.
as a sophomore. She recalls a
to some. "The new system is a
"There are ways to reach
Chinese-American classmate telling
facade," says Amy Chang, who
disadvantaged students without using
her, "People don't expect you to do
helped Chinese-Americans mount a
race as a factor," says Gale Norton,
any good. You're only here to fill a
lawsuit against the earlier admission
Colorado's attorney general.
quota." The new system would be
process. "Whatever criteria they use
More
(3)
whether it's socioeconomic or not -
all other groups. The one-third
should be race-blind."
increase is designed to leave black
School officials defend the
recipients with the same amount of
decision, saying the new program
scholarships, says Jerry Sullivan,
didn't restrict their authority to admit
director of financial aid.
students on the basis of race alone.
Not all of these programs are trying
Steve Philips, a schoolboard member
to evade the impact on racial
and an African-American, says flatly
minorities. The University of Virginia
that "the point is not to weed out
is quietly biting the bullet: of
middle-class blacks." Lowell's
53 former "black-only" scholarships
2,700 students, 10.6% are Hispanic
given out last fall, nine went to
and 4.7% are black, significantly
whites, three to Asians and one to a
below the percentages of the city's
Hispanic. "In the climate of today
school-age population).
we have to broaden the recipients,
This month, Lowell once again
and be more sensitive to other
reviewed applicants for the fall. This
low-income and socially
time, the admissions committee
disadvantaged populations," says
scored black and Hispanic students
John Blackburn,
for socioeconomic factors, but the
Virginia's dean of admissions.
data - relevant for all other students
But, overall, doubts about the
in the set-aside program - were
experiments in class-based
ignored. Black and Hispanic students
preferences abound. The regents of
defend the practice, saying they feel
California's university system, for
isolated even with the additional
example, have ordered the campuses
numbers from racial preferences.
to stop using racial criteria next year.
"We still need a lot more of us'
But Ward Connerty, a regent and
around," says Allier Zelaya, a senior
well-known opponent of race-based
whose parents hail from Nicaragua.
affirmative action, doesn't trust the
But Lowell's experience
admissions officials. He wants the
underscores the suspicion of some
names of applying students removed
that class-based preferences might be
from applications so the admissions
used simply as a cover for the
staff won't be able to detect Hispanic
continuation of race-preferences in
surnames.
admissions. "There's a lot of
Rep. Charles Canady, the sponsor
mendacity going on," asserts Mr.
of federal legislation to ban racial
Kahlenberg, an advocate of the
preferences, likes class preferences
class-based approach.
but fears that they will be used by
In Texas, for instance, lawmakers
affirmative-action advocates to
openly talk about trying to craft
simply extend the life of racial ones.
an admissions formula that will "zero
And that, the Florida Republican
out" the effect of the legal ban
says, "would be a mistake."
on race preferences. In order to do so,
however, they must define
socioeconomic disadvantage so
broadly that even many middle-class
blacks and Hispanics may safely fall
under the rubric and thus receive an
admissions boost. Criteria proposed
in the pending Senate bill include
"whether the applicant is bilingual,"
attended a "low-performing" high
school, or is "a resident of a
geographic region of the state in
which recognized socioeconomic
indicators" are below average.
At the University of Colorado,
officials are trying to blunt the
effect of the shift away from explicit
race preferences by adding money
to a pool of funds for which black
candidates must now compete with
HOUSTON CHRONICLE APR 1997 AI
24
Applications
that loss. Affirmative action doesn't
just benefit minorities, it benefits
students."
At the UH Law Center, the num-
ber of black applicants dropped by
by minorities
39 percent this year, said Rothstein,
also head of the admissions commit-
tea She said the decline among
Hispanic applicants was 19 percent.
UH still is accepting applications.
down sharply
for first-time freshman students
But so far, the interest from blacks
and Hispanics has kept pace with
that of last year, officials said, cred.
iting the diversity mostly to the fact
that more than 65 percent of its
State's largest universities see
students come from Harris County,
But elsewhere, the number of
drop in wake of Hopwood case
undergraduate minority applicants
has fallen.
At UT-Austin, applications from
blacks fell 24 percent and from
By LYDIA LUM
recruiting efforts, "obviously, we
Hispanics by 22 percent. Also, UT
Houston Chronicle
weren't as effective. Some of our
officials warned against planing all
competitors are bad-mouthing us,
of the blame on the Hopwood case
Minority applications to some of
telling minorities not to come to
publicity, saying that 8 new essay,
Texas' largest universities have
Texas because they are not wel-
requirement probably deterred
dropped dramatically this year, and
many not-so-serious students.
coma
officials are blaming the decline on
"This is definitely a case of blam-
The total number of UT applicants
race-neutral policies in admissions
ing the victim," he said.
fell 13 percent, including 14 percent
and financial aid
Not everyone agreed with Shar-
for whites.
Educators believe that as scholar-
lot's assessment. Geoff Henley, 8
Yet Texas A&M President Ray
ships are given out in the corning
UT leve school graduate, said the
Bowen said any drop for whatever
weeks, black and Hispanic appli
race-asutral policies. "mean just one
reason could be significant because
cants may opt for out-of-state
thing. and that's openness."
of the scarcity of minorities on some
schools, which still consider ethnici-
Speaking to a ctvil rights advisory
campuses.
ty.
group this past weekend in Austin,
At Texas A&M this year, applicable
"There's DO chance we can go on
Henley recounted how law school
tions from blacks fell 10 percent and
competing successfully in drawing
officials used to separate applicant
from Hispanics 7 percent. Bowen
qualified minorilles if things contin-
files based on ethnicity.
called the drop in black applicants
ue this way." said Michael Sharlot,
"We like the notion of equal oppor-
"especially critical," since blacks
dean of the University of Texas
tunity, but equal protection applies
now make up only 3 percent of
School of Law, where the Hopwood
to everyono," he said. "That's not a
current enrollment.
case began.
bad thing That's not a novel thing,
"There's no question that Hop-
In that case, the 5th U.S. Circuit
either."
wood is upsetting people," Bower
Court of Appeals last year found
Joseph Horn, a UT psychology
said. "People are thinking they:
unconstitutional the UT law
professor, told the Austin panel that
shouldn't bother to apply here when
a majority of UT students as well as
Harvard and everyone else is mak-
school's former admissions policy,
a majority of Americans echoed
ing. them better offers."
which had considered whites and
Henley's view.
minorities separately.
Horn cited several national polls
That ruling has been interpreted
that indicated a majority of the
to mean that race can no longer be
public rejected racial preferences.
considered is adminsions and finan-
He also said a 1993 poll of UT
cial aid decisions at public colleges
students showed that 76 percent
in Texas.
believed that minorities should not
Educators warn that surveys may
be given preferential treatment.
be skewed because college appd-
Horn called the Hopwood ruling
cants don't have to disclose their
an "Important reafiirmation of
ethnicity. At Texas A&M University,
sound democratic government.
for instance, the number of appli-
"An aversion to race preferences
cants not disclosing their race has
makes good sense and is good Law,"
be said
climbed 104 percent. Texas colleges
still solicit the information for Do-
But University of Houston law
partment of Education statistics.
professor Laura Rothstein, also
speaking to the group in Austin, said
But officials still are alarmed by a
she already has had a taste of what
42 percent drop in black applicants
a classroom is like with fewer ml-
to the UT law school, Shariet mid.
norities.
Meanwhile, educators aren't as
She said that because only two
alarmed at the 15 percent decrease
black students are in her property.
in Hispanic applicants because it is
law class this year, the discussion
close to the overall national decline
on housing discrimination was
of 18 pereant, he said.
much less Hery than in years when
Shariot said that despite intense
more minorities attended
"The issue of race didn't come up
as it has in the past because there
was no one there to bring it up,"
Rothstein said. "All of the students
in my class were harmed because of
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS,
April
1997
Clinton urged to join admissions debate
State senators ask president to take stand to protect rights of minority students applying for college
Br NICOLE For
EXPRESS-NEWS AUSTIN BUREAU
A21
recent comments by assistant Ed-
that Texas was not at risk of losing
Morales stood his ground.
ucation Secretary Norma Cantu
ILS $1.8 billion in federal funds
He also offered to meet with the
that appeared to suggest Texas
Mcanwhile, Morales continued
U.S. Education Department to
AUSTIN - A group of state sena-
universities could lose federal aid
to take heal over his opinion thata
work out any disputes that may
tors, led by Sen Gregory Luna, D-
if they follow Texas Attorney Gen-
5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling
have resulted from his ruling.
San Astonio, is urging President
eral Dan Morales' ruling that they
that the University of Texas Law
The committee gave approval to
Clinton to protect the rights of mi-
must eliminate race and ethnicity
School admissions policy discrim-
a bill that seeks to use academic
nority students by stepping into
as criteria for admissions.
inates applied to all state colleges.
and socioeconomic factors in uni-
the debate over the use of racial
But earlier this week, the Educa-
"I realize that Attorney General
versity admissions decisions
preferences at Texas state univer-
tion Department shied away from
Morales has a different opinion,"
Although a few expressed doubts,
sities.
the position, saying reports had
Luna said "T'm disappointed, and I
genators generally were optimistic
in a letter dated Thursday, 12
mischaracterized letters from
think he's had bad advice. He's
the bill would allow universities to
senators asked the president to
Cantu to state officials
tied hiruself into a corner."
achieve diversity while not using
take a stand against the possible
Education officials indicated to
During testimony this week to
edunicity and race as specific CT:-
"reaegregation" of state colleges.
U.S. Sen Phil Gramm this week
the Senate Education Committee,
teria for admissions.
Sens. Frank Madia. D-San Antonio,
and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo,
were among those to sign the let-
ter.
We are currently witnessing an
unprecedented free fall of minori-
ty applicants and admissions in
Texas public universities that will
take - back to the days of negligi-
bie minority participation in pub-
licly funded education," their let-
ter said.
A similar letter was sent to Clin-
ton and signed by members of the
House Mexican American Caucus
In an interview, Luna said he
hoped Clinton would stand behind
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
MAK
16
This is not a time for race-baiting'
Lee, Ellis respond to Gramm in college admissions debate
race was not neutral.
By JO ANN ZUNIGA
Houston Chronicle
P26A
Ellis said a condition of state legis-
lators last month wrote a letter to.
'We should not be dividing
the Department of Education to
U.S. Rep. Shella Jackson Lee and
state Sen. Rodney Ellis joined forces
ourselves over simple questions.
determine the amount of federal
funds that are at stake if the new
Friday to support affirmative action
in admission policies at Texas uni-
Do we need diversity? Yes. Is di-
"race-neutral" policies in Texas vio-
late Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
versities.
versity legal? Yes.'
1964.
"This is not a time for race-bait-
U.S. Rep. Shella Jaskson Lee
The legislators pointed to a statis-
ing, but instead a time to look at
lical analysis prepared by the Texas
what is best for our state and our
Higher Education Coordinating
nation," Lee said.
Board that found such "race-neu-
"We should not be dividing
former practice of considering
Gramm, in a letter to Education
trai" policies will result in a 40
ourselves over simple questions. Do
whites and minorities separately.
Secretary Richard Riley, demanded
percent to 50 percent reduction in
we need diversity? Yes. Is diversity
It started Monday when Norma
that the education department
minority enrollment at Texas col-
legal? Yea," she said at a news
Cantn, assistant secretary for civil
change its position.
leges.
conference held at Texas Southern
rights in the U.S. Department of
Lee and Ellis on Friday were
"If there is a direct assault of Title
University.
Education sent state Attorney Gen-
responding to Gramm's remarks.
VI, there will be a resurrection of the
Lee and Ellis' response was the
eral Dan Morales a letter disagree-
They said they conducted the con-
ctvil rights movement unprecedent-
latest in a Gurry of events this week
ing with his position that the Hop-
ference at the historically black
yed," Ellis said.
surrounding the Hopwood ruling,
wood ruling should apply to all state
campus to show how vestiges re-
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
which found as unconstitutional the
colleges, not just UT law school.
main of "separate, but equal" insti-
probibits discrimination by univer-
University of Texas law school's
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Phil
tutions of earlier segregation when
sitles who receive federal funds.
BOSTON GLOBE MAR 30 1997 C6
Education secretary
will give keynote
at literacy event
Betsy Nelson, executive
director, Boston Partners in
Education, an organization thati
trains volunteers to-assist in
US Secretary of Education
"We have attracted some of
schools.
Richard R. Riley will be the
the nation's leading experts
Dr. Perri Klass, medical
keynote speaker at a symposium
on literacy, and we hope to raise
director. Reach Out and Read,
on literacy that will feature
the level of discussion on the
Boston Medical Center. which
prominent figures in American
subject at this symposhra," he.
education on May 12 at the
said.
supplies young patients with
books.
John F. Kennedy Library in Bos-
In addition to the secretary
ton.
of education, panelists will
Sara Lawrenes Lightfoot.
"Literacy in America/Making
be:
professor and author, Har-
the Grade for Our Children,"
Thomas W. Payzant, super-
vard Graduate School of Edu-
sponsored by The Boston Globe
intendent of Boston Public
cation.
as part of the newspaper's
Schools.
Mary Curtis, director, Lit-
celebration of its 125th anni-
Carol Rasco, director,
eracy Center. Father Flanagan's
versary in 1997, will feature
America Reads. a national
Boys' Town
two panel discussions. The first
The symposium will have a
will be a critical look at the issue
literacy campaign of the
live audience of some 400 at
of literacy and its public policy
US Department of Edues-
the John F. Kennedy Library,
implications; the second an ex-
tion.
and will reach a national
change on what kinds of teaching
Lester C. Thurow. professor
audience through the Massachu-
techniques have worked well and
of management and economics,
setts Corporation for Educa-
how to construct successful pro-
Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
tional Telecommunications, or
granus.
nology.
MCET. The event will be broad-
Gall Harris of Boston's
Jeanne S. Chall, professor
cast live to all schools in
WABU-TV (Ch. 68) will
emeritus, Harvard Graduate
Massachusctts, 18 well as to
be the moderator of
School of Education.
MCETs membership in 27 other
the event on Monday, May 19,
Dr. Roselmina Indrisano,
states.
from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
chairman, department of develop-
MCET provides daily satellite
at the library.
Globe chairman and publisher
mental studies and counseting at
broadcasts to students and educa-
Boston University.
tora.
William O. Taylor expressed
the hope that the symposium
would make 1 significant con-
tribution to the cause of li-
teracy.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28. 1997
TODAY
44
Today's debate: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Keep campuses diverse
OUR VIEW
Recent challenges
are undermining
gains. Pursuing college diversity
Don't force diversity
is constitutional and right.
OPPOSING VIEW
Clean up mis-
If Cantu was serious about mending af
guided affir-
firmative action, she would carry out he
Nobody said overcoming the nation's
mative action. Put race beyond
sworn duty to obey judicial decisions, no
shameful history of racial segregation and
evade them. The Supreme Court has per
discrimination would be easy. But the er-
the reach of bureaucrats.
mitted programs that are closely tailored to
rors of educators, meanderings of courts
remedy identifiable actions of previous dis
and opportunism of politicians don't help.
By Terence J. Pell
crimination. However, few existing affir
Take the University of Texas Law
The action of a mid-level civil rights bu-
mative action programs fit this description
School. the most prestigious in the nation's
reaucrat last week demonstrates that the
Instead, they purport to address "soci
second-largest state. It's caught between a
administration's policy of "mend it, don't
etal" discrimination and to promote "di
runaway federal appeals court, a politically
end it" actually is more accurately de-
versity" goals so vague it's impossible to
ambitious attorney general and a business-
scribed as massive resistance.
tell when or if they ever will be met Suct
as-usual federal bureaucracy.
Norma Cantu, the Clinton appointee in
programs are indistinguishable from per
Texas Law School was off-limits to non-
charge of the Education Department Office
manent set-asides - "spoils" designed
whites for most of its 114-year history. But
for Civil Rights, threatened to cut off feder-
only to mollify angry constituents. This i:
under court orders and federal prodding,
al aid to the state of Texas unless it contin-
the sort of affirmative action program the
the school admitted minorities starting in
ues racial preference programs struck down
Hopwood court struck down in Texas and
1950, eventually establishing an aggressive
last year by a U.S. Court of Appeals in the
that Cantu now wishes to resurrect through
affirmative action program to attract them.
case of Hopwood vs. Texas.
bureaucratic intimidation.
But the school blew it. As if a law school
Cantu shows how easily the idea of
"Mend it, don't end it" has become the
couldn't find a good lawyer, officials in the
mending affirmative action can get turned
slogan of the '90s that "Separate but equal'
'80s established precisely the kind of racial
on its head. Instead of deferring to the
was to the 1950s. Just as proponents of ra-
quota system which had been outlawed by
courts' authority to weed out unconstitu-
cial segregation then tried to evade Su.
the Supreme Court in 1978.
tional racial preference programs, Cantu
preme Court decisions they didn't like, pro-
Unfortunately, it took a 1992 lawsuit by
fights to preserve all forms of affirmative
ponents of affirmative action are nov
four unsuccessful white applicants to get
action, no matter how illegal.
engaged in a similar, futile effort to turr
the error corrected. Texas Law's selection
While Cantu's defiance is singular in its
back the clock. It is high time to make a
process was redesigned to conform to the
audacity, it is in keeping with the adminis-
clean-sweep and to put race beyond the
Supreme Court's guidelines, which permit
tration's general failure to "mend" affirma-
reach of the state - once and for all.
tive action. Despite Clinton's promise to
racial diversity to be one factor among
"review" all racial preferences, almost no
Terence J. Pell is a lawyer with the Center
many considered in admissions decisions.
federal preference has been changed. Even
for Individual Rights, which litigated Hop-
The case had a life of its own, however.
wood VS. Texas, and a former deputy assistant
programs that impose a 100% race quota
Last year, two appeals court judges usurped
secretary for policy in the Education Depart-
have escaped unscathed.
ment Office for Civil Rights.
the high court's prerogative and rewrote the
law. Rejecting a still-valid and recently re-
stated Supreme Court decision, they on-
dered the school to end affirmative action.
Now Texas Attorney General Dan Mo-
rales, who's widely suspected of having his
eye on higher office, has gone the runaway
judges one better. He's advised'all state col-
leges and universities to do the same.
Last week the U.S. Department of Edu-
Texas' top institutions. The story's the
cation told Texas officials just the opposite:
same in California, where politically driven
They could lose $500 million in federal
attacks on affirmative action have sent a
education money unless they maintain af-
message that minorities aren't welcome.
firmative action programs. Cited: A 1992
In a nation that institutionalized racism
court ruling requiring continued effort to
for centuries, the relatively recent commit-
root out discrimination and make Texas
ment to equality is far too fragile to abam-
campuses more accessible to minorities.
don all affirmative action. Non-quota pur-
The need for ongoing efforts is drama-
suit of campus diversity is constitutional.
tized by a sharp drop-off this year in appli-
And it's the right thing to do.
cations from blacks and Hispanica at all of
The
Thursday, March 27,
42
Judge Clark's despair
Some players in the Kansas City school de-
tional. Even as Nixon was congratulating him-
segregation case greeted this week's court ruling
self, state legislators were trying to figure out
with great enthusiasm, but there is little in this
what to do next.
ruling for students, parents and taxpayers to cel-
District officials said they were "very encour-
ebrate. As he relinquishes his jurisdiction over
aged and gratified" by the judge's order. That's
the case, U.S. District Judge Russell G. Clark of-
an odd reaction, to say the least, to the judge's
fers an appalling picture of the Kansas City
dismal summary of the district.
schöol system, declares that rapid corrective ac-
Clark pointed to the lack of such basics as an
tion'is needed. and says he doesn't think the dis-
instructional program, a school security plan
trict's leaders are up to the job.
and "true budgeting." He complained about
The judge's damning summary: "While there
classes being too large. The administration is
is some good teaching and learning going on in
also too large, hc said, and district costs were
(Kansas City) schools, there is a great deal of
way out of line with other school systems.
poor teaching and little learning in many
It is hard to know what to make of Clark's
schools."
suggestion that state officials or a "special mas-
Surveying this wreckage, Missouri Attorney
ter" should step in to save the Kansas City dis-
Jay. Nixon declared: "Obviously, we won." But
trict. The agreement he was approving, after all,
this doesn't change the fact that public education
was supposedly designed to restore local control
is, ultimately, a state responsibility. If the school
to the district.
district collapses, the state will have to pick up
Clark's order gives district and state officials
the pieces
some time to make massive reforms and put to-
Clark approved an agreement that allows the
gether responsible plans for the future of Kansas
state to buy itself out of the desegregation case,
City's schools. But, as he points out, there's no
but the missing ingredient in this agreement was
time to waste.
a long-range plan to keep the district opera-
The Dallas Morning Nelus
Thursday, March 27, 1997
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Race should be part of admission 'basket'
Norma Cantu's warning should be taken
This data is worth considering as Texas
as a challenge to improve matters in Texas.
officials respond to Ms. Cantu's letter. Texas
She's the U.S. Education Department official
cannot afford a brain drain, especially since
who told Texas Attorney General Dan
minority students are a fast-growing part of
Morales that state universities do not need
Texas' population.
to stop using race or ethnicity as one of sev-
Likewise, the state cannot afford to lose
eral factors in determining admission or
up to $1.8 billion in federal education aid
offering financial aid.
over its lack of affirmative action policies.
After the recent Hopwood VS. Texas rul-
Ms. Cantu. who says the Hopwood case con-
ing. which concerned a previous University
cerns only University of Texas Law School
of Texas Law School admissions practice,
policies, warns that Texas should maintain
Mr. Morales ruled that state universities
affirmative action policies at other state uni-
could not use race as a variable in recruit-
versities. Otherwise, Texas may violate the
ing and admitting students or awarding
1964 Civil Rights Act. which would trigger a
them with financial aid. What applied to UT
loss of federal higher education aid.
Law School must be true statewide, he said.
So what needs to happen?
Several Texas college presidents balked,
Attorney General Morales should confer
warning of a brain drain. They feared
with Ms. Cantu. as well as with university
minority students may leave Texas to go
officials, in drafting new guidelines. Race
elsewhere. They also worried that minority
should not be the only factor guiding an
applications to state universities would
admission or scholarship. But state schools
decline.
should be able to include race as one of sev.
Some preliminary data support their con-
eral factors used to determine admissions
cern. Texas A&M University. for example,
and financial help.
reports that African-American applications
Almost all states do that now anyway.
are down 10 percent from 1995. Hispanic
Why should Texas be in an unfavorable
applications are also down 7 percent. Over-
position? Ms. Cantu's letter creates an oppor-
all applications are up at A&M. however.
tunity 13 move all Texas students forward.
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
Universities Report Less Minority Interest After
DOCUMENT 10 OF 12
NYTF9707800213
Section B; National Desk
*
Universities Report Less Minority Interest After Action to Ban
Preferences
By PETER APPLEBOME
1733 Words
11834 Characters
03/19/97
04:50
The New York Times
Late Edition - Final
Page 12, Column 1
C. 1997 New York Times Company
AUSTIN, Tex., March 18 -- After decisions to dismantle affirmative
action programs at public universities in California and Texas,
applications from blacks and Hispanic students are down significantly at
both states' most prestigious universities and professional schools,
leading to fears that the initiatives will result in a long-term decline
* in minority enrollment.
Following a Federal court decision in the Hopwood
reverse-discrimination case here and the California Board of Regent's
decision to ban affirmative action in admissions, both states are seeing
* sharp declines in minority applications, with the greatest drops in
applications to medical and law schools and flagship campuses like the
one here.
Students and college officials attribute the drop to tighter
admissions standards, worries on the part of prospective students about
*
a smaller minority presence on campus and the elimination of race-based
scholarships.
Though many students say the new policies will not affect their
college choices, others say they think the door to higher education is
not as open as it once was.
"My mother would not allow me to apply to U.T. because of the
Hopwood decision," said Tanya Holloway, an Austin high school senior
who is black. "She didn't think I would get fair treatment there."
Total undergraduate applications to the campus here fell 13 percent,
which officials attribute partly to a new essay required on the
application. Applications from blacks fell 26 percent. Applications from
Hispanics fell 23 percent.
The University of Texas Law School, against which Cheryl Hopwood and
three other white students filed a lawsuit claiming that they had not
Source: New York Times, March 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
not admitted because minorities had got preferential treatment in
admissions, saw applications from blacks fall 42 percent this year.
In California, though a record number of students applied to the
*
state university system, the number of minority applicants fell for the
second year in a row: the number of black applicants fell 8.2 percent;
for Hispanic applicants, the drop was 3.7 percent, and for American
*
Indian applicants, 9 percent. Minority applications to medical school
plummeted 23 percent this year.
Applications to the California system rose 1.6 percent over all, with
the biggest increase, 5.1 percent, coming from Asian-Americans.
Asian-Americans had been excluded from race-based initiatives because of
their disproportionately high numbers in higher education, and many had
complained that the affirmative action initiatives in the California
system had denied them the educational opportunities they had rightly
earned.
The affirmative action ban goes into effect for professional schools
this year and for undergraduate applicants next year. But education
experts say it has received so much attention it is affecting students
at both levels already.
Supporters and critics of affirmative action agree that the immediate
result of ending the programs could be to reduce diversity at the top
public universities of two of the nation's most diverse states.
"In general, many of our fears have been borne out," said the
University of Texas president, Robert M. Berdahl, who becomes Chancellor
of the University of California at Berkeley this summer. "We only have
applications to go by for now, but the pattern we're seeing is very
sobering. We're still committed to achieving diversity in education. I'm
not saying it will be impossible, but we will lose ground, and it will
be some time before we recover what we've lost."
At the University of Texas, whites make up 65 percent of the student
body, Hispanics 15 percent, blacks 4 percent and Asian-Americans 12
percent. Of the state's 18-year-olds, 51 percent are white, 32 percent
Hispanic, 14 percent black and 2 percent Asian-American.
"There is no question in my mind that what's happening in both
states is related to Hopwood and the Regents' decision," said Deborah
Carter, associate director in the office of minorities in higher
* education at the American Council on Education.
But not everyone agrees about the repercussions.
Ward Connerly, the University of California regent who proposed the
*
end to affirmative action, said the drop in minority applications had
been expected and reflected the degree to which racial preferences had
unfairly shaped admissions.
"This is just basic logic," Mr. Connerly said. "If you've been
given a substantial preference based on race and you take it away, the
numbers are going to drop. But just because you're not going to get a
preference doesn't mean you're not welcome."
Source: New York Times, March 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
He said it was more important to focus on improving educational
opportunities for blacks and Hispanics across the board, rather than on
giving preferences to a few.
The Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, who has been bitterly
criticized for his narrow interpretation of what is allowed under the
Hopwood ruling, said part of the blame should rest on the alarmist
message being put out by Texas universities.
"What these university administrators ought to be saying is, 'We are
committed; we are steadfast; we are going to continue this march toward
diversity regardless of whether Hopwood is out there,' Mr. Morales
said. "That is what should be communicated to these applicants instead
of the predictions of doom and gloom, the predictions of
resegregation."
*
Some minority students are torn, fearing a decrease in diversity and
a lessening of their own prospects but are mindful that some will think
that being admitted under affirmative action programs tarnishes their
own credentials.
"It scares me personally because I wonder what it will mean for
me," said Carolina Ornelas, a University of Texas senior who plans to
apply to pharmacy school. "But then you wonder if you got in because of
your record or because of race. So it helps and it hurts."
Education officials in both states say they are increasingly
concerned about the long term.
"I think that a lot of people hostile to affirmative action who see
our entering class next year might have second thoughts," said Michael
Sharlot, dean of the University of Texas Law School. "We're a public
law school with the function of preparing people to serve not just as
providers of legal services but as civic leaders. For us to go from the
leading provider of Mexican-American and black lawyers in the country to
a vastly reduced role is just awful."
One of every 11 Mexican-American lawyers in the United States was
trained at the University of Texas Law School, Mr. Sharlot said. This
year, applications from Hispanic students are down 14 percent, matching
the overall decline, while black applications are down 42 percent.
The affirmative action program at the Texas law school, like the
University of California's program, had allowed for the admission of
black and Hispanic students with lower entrance-test scores and grades.
Although the Hopwood case threw out any use of race as a
consideration in admissions, the Texas Attorney General interpreted the
ruling to also ban race-based scholarships. Admissions officers say that
has hindered the recruitment of minorities.
Bruce Walker, the university's admissions director, said the decline
* in minority applications was a marked departure from recent, relatively
stable trends, but he was wary of drawing long-term, lessons.
"We think some applicants got scared off by the essay," Mr. Walker
said. "We expect the numbers to come back. How much they'll come back
Source: New York Times, March 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
for minorities right now is anyone's guess."
It is not yet clear whether the application trends will translate
*
into lower minority acceptances and enrollments. Some black and Hispanic
students bound for college are apparently applying instead to less
prestigious state schools and to private ones, national education
experts say.
"I looked back at our trends over the last 24 years," said Dr.
Michael Drake, Associate Dean of Admissions at the University of
California at San Francisco School of Medicine, where applications from
underrepresented minorities dropped to 493 this year from 638 last year
and 722 in 1995. "If you look at the drop from 722 to 493, that has
never happened in our history."
*
Interviews in California and Texas with minority high school students
thinking about college and with university students thinking about
graduate and professional schools provided a wide range of responses.
Marlen Whitley, a black student recently elected as the student body
president at the University of Texas, said he planned to go to law
school. Before the Hopwood ruling, he had Texas high on his list. Now he
plans to look elsewhere so he can "get away from all the drama that's
happened here."
Similarly, Bruce Rideaux, a senior from Beaumont, Tex., said that if
he were applying to college now, he would probably not apply to the
University of Texas. "There are 50,000 students here and SO few of them
are black," Mr. Rideaux said. "With all this going on, I probably
would have gone to a predominantly black or a smaller university."
At Oakland Technical High School in California, Ernestina Gallegos, a
Hispanic senior with a 3.65 grade point average, said she was applying
to the elite schools in the University of California system. She said
she doubted that the affirmative action debate would affect her
chances.
"Sometimes affirmative action is kind of biased," she said. "I've
seen kids with really low S.A.T.'s and G.P.A.'s get in, while other kids
who worked really hard got left out. I didn't think about it. It
wouldn't be a problem for me whether or not affirmative action would be
there."
But Michael Lampkins, a senior with a B plus average who is black,
said he had always wanted to go to U.C.L.A. but now doubted that he
could get in. He is applying to historically black schools instead.
"I think the Regents are kind of going back to that good old
separate but equal," Mr. Lampkins said.
What the ultimate impact on educational opportunity will be is
unclear. Still, Mr. Connerly, a fierce opponent of affirmative action,
and Dr. Berdahl, a staunch defender, both agree that affirmative action
addresses just part of the problem.
In Texas, Dr. Berdahl said, there are 36,000 18-year-old
African-Americans. Of those, 24,000 graduate from high school, 12,000 go
Source: New York Times, March 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 4
Dow Jones News/Retrieval (R)
to school past high school, 6,000 take the Scholastic Assessment Test,
and only 1,000 get scores that make them competitive at the University
of Texas.
"Clearly, if affirmative action at best can help one thirty-sixth of
the kids, the only solution ultimately is to enlarge the number of kids
in the pool," he said. "If society is saying affirmative action isn't
the answer, then it's up to us to take ownership of the problem and
enlarge the pool. In the end, that's the only answer."
04:50 EST March 19, 1997
I0607
*
End of document.
Source: New York Times, March 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 5