'U' deans, faculty stand behind admissions policy

University deans and faculty stood behind admissions procedures yesterday, stressing the importance of maintaining a diverse student body in the face of a newly filed class-action lawsuit.

The lawsuit, which seeks to terminate the use of race-based admissions preferences, targets the College of Literature, Science and Arts, to which the two plaintiffs were denied admission.

LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg said the University's admissions procedures fit legal parameters.

"These suits are often based on a very limited notion of grades and test scores," said Goldenberg, adding that extracurricular activities, leadership skills and regional location are among other factors considered during the admissions process. "This perspective is trying to focus on one aspect among many."

Goldenberg said the lawsuit was troubling because of the importance of diversity to the University.

"The quality of the educational learning environment that we provide to our students is very affected by the variety of students we bring to campus," Goldenberg said.

Goldenberg said the filing of the suit alone will not have a direct impact on the type of students who apply to the University, but will have repercussions throughout the campus community.

"A filing of a lawsuit doesn't tell you anything about what is going to eventuate," Goldenberg said. "I think this is a community that cares a great deal about attracting to Ann Arbor a diverse student body. This will probably stimulate discussion."

Philosophy Prof. Carl Cohen said the University should not compromise constitutional principles to maintain a diverse student body.

"I know the motivation is honorable, but the device is unacceptable," Cohen said, adding that he believes the University's admissions policies violate the 14th Amendment. "We don't give people the equal protection of the law when we give preference on the basis of skin color.

"A wealthy black student is not worthy of compensation just because his ancestors were hurt," Cohen said.

Law School Dean Jeffrey Lehman said that while he was not surprised that the suit was filed, he is disappointed it happened.

"Ultimately, it will be a time for the University to have its admissions policies vindicated in court," Lehman said.

Lehman said that although the suit does not directly challenge the Law School, it will effect the Law School as well as the University as a whole.

"(The lawsuit) appears to be premised upon a challenge to the very idea of diversity at the University," Lehman said. "To the extent that that is what's behind it, I feel that this is an attack on the entire University.

"The University serves a heterogeneous world and maintaining a diverse student body is critically valuable to pursuing those goals," Lehman said.

Former Public Policy Dean Edward Gramlich, who is undergoing confirmation for a spot on the Federal Reserve Board, said the maintenance of a diverse student body is essential to his former school.

"I do think society's going to be better if people from all backgrounds are brought into the making of public policy," Gramlich said. "I do think society will work better if people from various points of views are represented in it."

SNRE Prof. Bunyan Bryant said the suit threatens the progress the University has made toward achieving diversity in recent years.

"It may perhaps have a chilling effect on the people who have been working very hard to defend affirmative action," Bryant said. "Potentially, the gains that we have made over the last 20 years or so could be lost. I just hope we don't get to that."

Physiology Prof. Louis D'Alecy said he doesn't think the impact of the suit will be as powerful as it was in Texas and California higher education systems.

"The public realizes this is a tactic that is being used to nationally confront these issues and we're just one campus on a long list of these targets," said D'Alecy, the chair of the faculty's governing body.

D'Alecy said he doesn't think the suit will deter prospective faculty members from joining the University's faculty, and will help unite current faculty members.

"I think this will stimulate faculty to pay attention to issues of diversity and assert themselves appropriately," D'Alecy said.

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