"He came forward with the mandate when it was being publicly assailed from the
left," said Walter Harrison, vice president for University relations. "And now
he is sticking to it, when it's being publicly assailed by the right."
"You are like a sheriff in an old western movie that every morning drags himself out of bed and straps the guns on again," he said. "You've got to be the first one on the battle line."
Sometimes the fights can get tough.
"From time to time, you'll get wounded," Duderstadt said.
Duderstadt's on-going commitment to diversity was a battle he said he fought vigorously during his presidency, often having to defend the need for programs such as the Michigan Mandate.
"He came forward with the mandate when it was being publicly assailed from the
left," said Walter Harrison, vice president for University relations. "And now
he is sticking to it, when it's being publicly assailed by the right."
The Michigan Mandate, which intends to increase the presence of minority students, faculty and staff on campus, began in 1987 when Duderstadt was provost.
"We have one of the best examples ... that diversity and excellence go hand in hand," Duderstadt said.
Under Duderstadt's leadership, minority student enrollment has reached the highest point ever. As a result, the number of students of color on campus is now twice the total amount of minority students that were enrolled in 1986, two years before the Mandate began.
Students of color now make up almost 25 percent of all University students.
The Mandate also set goals to increase the hiring of minority faculty on campus.
Andre Hewitt, founder of the Black Volunteer Network, applauded Duderstadt's commitment to enrollment, but said more efforts still need to be made to retain these students and faculty.
"He set some lofty goals and he chipped away at certain pieces of them." Hewitt said. "But we all come back to the underlying issue. After someone is accepted, how do you retain them at the University?"
Hewitt said the intergroup dialogues that began during Duderstadt's presidency are important for students because they help "build bridges" between different groups.
"He has done an excellent job," Hewitt said.
Harrison said the Mandate shows Duderstadt's commitment to humanizing the University.
"He built the campus physically," Harrison said. "But more importantly, he built its human side."
Duderstadt said programs that were originally created to support minorities also have improved the opportunities for all students. He cited the 21st Century program as one initiative that focused on minority students, but now has expanded to accommodate all types of students.
"President Duderstadt has definitely taken the lead in making this University more diverse and multicultural. The Michigan Mandate is a very good example of that," said Johnny Su, a member of the United People's Coalition.
But Su cautioned against placing too much weight on statistics.
"Even though there are a lot of improvements, there also have been areas in which some of the numbers are not indicative," he said.
Duderstadt said it is essential that the programs continue after he steps down.
"I am always concerned about sustaining those agendas," he said. "It takes great passion and commitment."
The next president may have to fight the opposition even more vigorously, with affirmative action policies being challenged throughout the country. Most recently, the University of California's board of regents voted to eliminate affirmative action programs that are based on race and gender.
"You have to lead people into battle to protect the institution," Duderstadt said about his commitment to diversity.
Leading the University to become a more diverse institution is one battle that Duderstadt said he has won.
"As this University has become more diverse," he said, "it has become a better and better institution."
The Michigan Agenda for Women, which he unveiled in April 1994, is an attempt to reach gender equity, making women "full and equal partners at the University of Michigan."
"During Jim Duderstadt's tenure, a number of actions were taken under his leadership and with his support that have benefited women on campus and will continue to do so," said Carol Hollenshead, director for the Center of the Education of Women.
The Agenda outlines issues that women on campus face, from safety concerns to problems of affordable daycare facilities.
More specifically, under Duderstadt, the administration worked to increase lighting, make training programs on women's issues mandatory, and to draft a sexual harassment policy.
Efforts also were made to attract -- and retain -- more women faculty. Currently, only one in 10 full professors is a woman. More opportunities for female students also went into effect during Duderstadt's presidency, including the Women in Science and Engineering residence hall program.
Duderstadt also supported equality for other minority groups. He stressed gay and lesbian rights when he defended policies that would forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Duderstadt stood behind the inclusion of sexual orientation into the Regents' Bylaw 14.06, the University's non-discrimination policy. The bylaw, which was amended in September 1993, now allows same-sex couples to receive the same housing, financial aid and staff insurance benefits as other members of the University community.
Duderstadt came under fire for this action from University members who disapproved of the amendment, including Regent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor).
"It was a serious matter of equity, justice," Duderstadt said. "This is one of the areas that universities are probably ahead of society. That doesn't mean I haven't had some wounds inflicted because of it."
Hollenshead said she hopes the next president will continue to fight for equality as much as Duderstadt did during his presidency.
"There is always a concern in a transition of leadership about continuation of policies and programs," Hollenshead said.
"We are pleased to see in their job description that the regents have emphasized these areas. We trust that the next president will also be supportive of increasing race and gender equity."