Organizers of a forum scheduled for tomorrow hope to bring University community members up to speed on the status of the two admissions lawsuits filed against the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and the Law School in 1997 as many members of the University community were out of Ann Arbor this summer.
"It is an excellent time for the University community to get caught up," said Law School Dean Jeffrey Lehman, one of the scheduled speakers at the forum, "Affirmative Action: Where Do We Stand?" The gathering is set to begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Michigan Union Ballroom.
Speaking with Lehman will be University Provost Nancy Cantor and John Payton, an attorney with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, the Washington, D.C. firm representing the University in the two suits.
In 1997, the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Individual Rights filed the suits against the University claiming their clients were unfairly evaluated in LSA and Law School admissions processes, which use race as a factor.
University General Counsel Marvin Krislov will moderate the event.
University spokesperson Julie Peterson said the purpose of the event is to clarify the current status of the lawsuits facing the University and address developments in the cases that occurred during spring and summer terms.
"It's a chance to hear from those who are going to be involved in the cases," Peterson said.
In August the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled that a group of intervening defendants must be allowed to join the University in defense of its practices.
The ruling marks the first time a court has allowed a group of minority advocates into an affirmative action case.
Peterson said one of the goals of the event is to also clear up misconceptions of the University's admissions system.
Citing results from The Michigan Daily Student Survey, published in April by the Daily in conjunction with the Department of Communication Studies and the Institute for Social Research, Peterson said "students showed some misunderstandings regarding the admissions process."
Nearly 51 percent of respondents - in a sample representing 87 percent of the student population - opposed the use of race as a factor in the admissions process.
One student planning on attending the program is LSA junior Rory Diamond, a Michigan Student Assembly representative and president of the campus chapter of the College Republicans.
"I encourage anyone to attend, but go with a critical eye," Diamond said, adding that misinformation can cloud opinions regarding issues such as affirmative action.
"We think that everyone should be there," said Luke Massie, a member of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary.
"We plan to explain the particular legal and political arguments the intervenors will bring into the cases," he said.
Regardless of where members of the University community stand on the issue of affirmative action, Lehman said that "all members of the Michigan community should make time to learn about the current litigation."
The program will be broadcasted live on channel 22 within the University Cable Network and on Media One in the greater Ann Arbor area.
09-28-99
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