University of California President Richard C. Atkinson wrote an op-ed piece for the April 20 Washington Post in which he expressed his pro-affirmative action views, although the university has not used race as a factor in admission since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996.
“”With the Supreme Court considering a momentous case on the future of affirmative action in university admissions,”” said Atkinson in an April 21 statement he released after the article ran in the Post’s opinion section, “”I believed it was important to share the University of California experience since race and ethnicity were eliminated as admissions considerations at UC.””
Atkinson has been in favor of affirmative action for many years, but in 1995, the UC Board of Regents passed SP-1, banning the use of race in admissions decisions beginning in 1998. Meanwhile, the state of California voted for proposition 209 in 1996, which disallowed race and ethnicity to be a factor in state hiring and UC admissions. SP-1 was rescinded by the Regents in 2001 in favor of comprehensive review, a process in which UC officials may consider an applicant’s personal qualities in addition to academic merit when making admissions decisions at the university.
After 1998, the enrollment of minority students decreased in all of the UC schools, and by more than 50 percent at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
In his opinion article titled “”Not there yet,”” Atkinson cited evidence that the UC schools are having trouble with minority students having the necessary grades to qualify for UC admission.
According to Atkinson, 38 percent of California public high school graduates and 21 percent of UC freshmen in 1995 were underrepresented minority students. Seven years later, the statistics show a widening of this gap from 17 to 24 percent, as only 18 percent of minority students were admitted to a UC school last year.
“”What we must do about this is a source of real concern,”” Atkinson said. “”We must continue our efforts to help close the achievement gap in the public schools.””
Moreover, Atkinson said that most underrepresented minority students are failing to qualify for UC admissions because of the high school grade point average and standardized test scores required for entry.
Many on campus believe that these two variables are the most fair and justified factors and that only measures of intelligence should be used to determine UC admission.
“”Race and ethnicity is independent of intelligence, motivation and heart,”” said John Allison, co-chair for the UCSD Conservative Union.
Currently, 30 percent of Asians and 13 percent of Caucasian graduating seniors in California qualified for admission to a UC campus, while only 4 percent of Latinos and 3 percent of blacks met these same standards.
These numbers, however, can be misleading as UC groups together multiple ethnicities and places them in one broader category. The effect can be a misinterpretation of the statistics.
“”Ethnicity is not black, white or any color. Persians, Spaniards and Norwegians are all included in the white label, but are not the same ethnicity,”” said UCSD Conservative Union co-chair John Allison. “”The number of ethnic groups that exist in California is large enough such that there is no ethnic majority.””
Others, however, felt that Atkinson was taking advantage of the students and the UC school system by publicly expressing his views.
“”What President Atkinson and Professor Post are trying to accomplish is an infringement on student’s rights,”” said Konstantinos Roditis, vice chair internal for the College Republicans. “”It is disconcerting that the largest school system in the U.S. would like to turn this institution of higher learning into stages for political propaganda.””
But minority-labeling aside, the University of California has been trying to increase the enrollment of minority students by targeting certain high schools and offering them aide with students and professional development programs.
Over 97,000 students in 2001 participated in UC-led student programs such as tutoring, college counseling and academic preparation.
In addition, the University of California also provided instruction to over 60,000 teachers on how to better teach and reach their students.
Moreover, the University of California is currently working on other initiatives to help improve minority enrollment such as “”Eligibility in the Local Context,”” which guarantees UC admission to the top 4 percent of a high school graduating class, an increased enrollment of transfer students and an increase in the criteria that the University of California uses to evaluate academic achievement.
One very important reason for Atkinson to provide such services is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who are eligible for UC admissions. “”The university always has sought to maintain the highest possible academic standards while providing the broadest possible access to California students,”” Atkinson said.
“”We have pursued both excellence and diversity because we believe they are inextricably linked.””
