Now more than ever, learning about a wealth of other cultures and backgrounds is important in the job market. By providing a diverse academic environment, the University prepares students for future jobs in a multicultural setting. In addition, by bringing in students with a wide variety of backgrounds, the University helps bring a unique palette of perspectives into academic discussions.
In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bakke v. California that race could be a contributing factor in admissions decisions. In 1988, former University President James Duderstadt implemented the Michigan Mandate, the University's affirmative action program that helped minority enrollment increase from 12.7 percent in 1990 to 25 percent this year.
Yesterday, CIR announced its new assault on the University's admissions policy. The suit claims that Law School officials discriminated against Barbara Grutter when they did not grant her admission for this academic year. Because the Law School admits such a small number of those who apply, it is forced to reject two-thirds of its applicants. But affirmative action should not be blamed for students not getting into the University - it is inherent in the highly competitive nature of law school admissions.
The center's lawsuit claims that the University used race as an overriding factor in its admissions decisions. In reality, it is a mere portion of the large scheme that officials look at when they admit students. The admissions policies also grant bonus points to children of alumni, students who come from underrepresented geographical areas and students with athletic and leadership abilities. The University's use of race-based factors is pursuant to the dictums established by the Bakke decision - the court system should dismiss CIR's lawsuit.
Other universities that no longer use affirmative action policies in admissions have seen a severe reduction in the number of minorities in their applicant pools and enrollments. The University of Texas Law School and the University of California system - whose board of regents discontinued all affirmative action policies a year ago - are having trouble maintaining any sort of campus diversity. The school's students will not benefit from the diverse experiences that are so important to workers in the multicultural job market.
CIR officials view affirmative action as simply reverse discrimination. But if properly implemented, it is much more than that. Decades of legal and de facto racist policies have created a significant obstacle for minorities trying to reach high professional goals. Affirmative action gives underrepresented minorities the opportunity to overcome this "glass ceiling" - the University must continue to defend its admissions policies.