WASHINGTON – With the U.S. Supreme Court soon expected to hear arguments in an affirmative action case, two leaders of public colleges and universities outlined their strong support for the continued use of race as a factor in admissions at a Washington, D.C. forum on Wednesday.
“I’m a huge believer in affirmative action,” said Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, University of Michigan president, at the National Press Club forum. Although Michigan has banned the use of racial preferences in the state, she said a similar decision nationally would be “a huge loss” in advancing diversity.
“It’s a complete falsehood that it’s depriving qualified people of an education,” she added.
Affirmative action also drew support from Dr. Gene Block, chancellor at UCLA, who noted that California also has banned affirmative action in admissions. He cited this as one reason why the incoming freshman class of 4,800 at UCLA includes only 200 African-Americans.
“It’s a small group and we’re not proud of that,” he said. “There’s no substitute for having diversity in the classroom.”
The high court is expected to hear arguments in October on Fisher v. University of Texas, in which a White plaintiff is alleging illegal discrimination in admissions. The Obama administration weighed in on the issue recently by urging the court to allow universities to consider race as an admissions factor.
The Supreme Court most recently ruled on affirmative action in 2003, when a narrow five-vote majority ruled that universities had a legitimate interest in offering diverse classes. Under this ruling in the Grutter v. Bollinger case, colleges could use race as one factor in a comprehensive review of a candidate’s application.
