Colleges Prepare for Possible End to Affirmative Action
Interest in alternatives to race-conscious admissions high at Quality Education for Minorities conference
By Cheryl D. Fields
WASHINGTON
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing of arguments in the University of Michigan’s affirmative action cases only weeks away, the tone of the annual Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) conference held here last month was one of resigned preparation for a ruling that could end the legal use of affirmative action at U.S. colleges and universities.
“This is a time for new approaches,” said Daniel W. Sutherland, chief of staff to the assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education. Sutherland and co-panelist Dr. Kevin Leicht, a professor of sociology at the University of Iowa, gave presentations on the variety and efficacy of race-neutral strategies currently in use around the country.
