Sometimes I wonder if I will ever live in a world where race is not an issue. It seems no matter whom I am with, at some time the discussion will turn to race. Although in most of these conversations the talk is educational rather than negative and derogatory, I wonder still if there ever will be a day when I do not think about what color the person is sitting next to me.
Students on campuses around the country may soon be considering the issue of race more after a Supreme Court hands down a decision in a controversial case this summer. The court will hear arguments tomorrow about whether or not the University of Michigan’s consideration of race in admissions is permissible. Specifically, the court is considering the case of a student who was not admitted, in her opinion, because she is white.
The University of Michigan swears it does not use racial quotas, but rather instead considers race as one of the many factors in deciding admission, along with other factors such as a student’s GPA and extracurricular activities.
Critics of this method and the staunchest supporters of a Supreme Court decision against it say colleges should not use race as a factor and schools should only use race-neutral techniques. This case is gearing up to be one of the most important cases in affirmative action in a while, and many country leaders are speaking up.
The White House, for example, issued a statement saying it opposed being conscious of race in university admission policies and labeled Michigan’s policies as an almost-but-not-quite quota system. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who strongly supports affirmative action and the use of racial consideration in university admissions standards, issued his own statements saying racial considerations had to be made because the country was not “race neutral” yet, according to CNN.
Mr. Powell has a point. The country is not yet race neutral, and there are many students who deserve to be afforded every chance as everyone else. Because this country is not race neutral yet, we must actively seek out and make diversified environments. According to Reveille archive stories, LSU admissions policies are different from Michigan’s. LSU insists a system like Michigan’s does not exist here, and that it considers applicants based on the usual factors of grades and personal accomplishments.
Although I agree with Powell that to achieve diversity race should be considered, the best way to achieve this diversity is not through screening applicants on the basis of race, even if it is only one of the factors.
Although LSU is not exactly the best example of diversity, considering it’s 76 percent white, I think some of the methods being applied are the direction universities everywhere should be taking. Instead of considering the races of applicants in the applicant pool, LSU works at actively recruiting more minority students. If you want a more diverse school (or workplace, or whatever), you just make the pool of people you want bigger. That way you don’t have to consider their race at all, you simply pick the most qualified people.
Along with specifically targeting recruitment efforts toward minorities, aiming incentives such as scholarships at minority groups automatically will bring in more diverse students. Having programs that encourage diversity, but also cultural education, will make the University more attractive to diverse students.
According to a Reveille article, the office of Undergraduate Admissions now has a “Cultural Connection” program that will give minority groups special attention. These sorts of ideas will bring more quality minority students to apply, and then race won’t have to be considered.
So, although I agree with leaders such as Powell that we are not race neutral and because of this we have to purposely work to encourage diversity, I do not agree considering race in admissions is the best way. Let’s try other ways first.
That way, when someone does get accepted to college, there will be no doubt in his or her mind they got in because they are the kind of student the university wants to have — not because they happen to be a minority and the university needs more of them.