Students and staff have the opportunity today to explore the myriad issues surrounding the fate of affirmative action at a moderated discussion open to the public.
The Center on Diversity and Community is holding a panel discussion called “The End of Affirmative Action? Diversity, Higher Education and Public Policy” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in 175 Knight Law Center.
Many policy makers and school administrators have begun to focus on affirmative action admissions policies in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear oral arguments for two court cases April 1 that concern controversial affirmative action programs at the University of Michigan.
The University of Oregon’s affirmative action program is relatively free of controversy because the school admits everyone who meets specific academic standards, but at the University of Michigan, race is one of many factors that can make or break an applicant.
The two court cases were filed on behalf of three white students who were denied admission into the University of Michigan’s undergraduate and law programs. They contend that lesser-qualified minority individuals were admitted in their stead because of the University of Michigan’s race-conscious admissions policies.
Nearly a quarter of a century has passed since the Supreme Court first established the murky guidelines concerning the use of race in determining college admissions. In 1978, the court ruled that the use of quotas was unconstitutional, but race could be employed as a factor in making admissions decisions. This ruling left room for interpretation, and many policy makers are now hoping the Supreme Court will clearly define what role race can play in college admissions policies.
CODAC Postdoctoral Research Fellow John Shuford said panelists for today’s discussion were selected for their experience in issues surrounding the affirmative action debate.
“We’re in the middle of a new national dialogue, and I saw an opportunity to bring together our community experts and start thinking through these issues in a public way,” he said.
University of Oregon law Professor Keith Aoki will moderate the discussion, and seven panelists will address a variety of issues — including the state of affirmative action in higher education, the legal issues and in-depth examination of the University of Michigan cases, the history of race-conscious affirmative action methods and the possible consequences of the upcoming court cases for higher education, public policy, business and employment in the surrounding community.
Penny Daugherty, director of the University of Oregon Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity and one of the CODAC panelists, said even though the University of Michigan cases will not change affirmative action policies in employment, there will still be repercussions. She added affirmative action is still necessary to provide equality of opportunity to minorities, and the absence of these policies in public universities would likely lead to a decrease in diversity in the workplace.
“I do not think we have completed the work that needs to be done,” Daugherty said. “Without the access in education, you’re not going to have folks in the pipeline coming to apply for jobs.”
Contact the senior news reporter
at [email protected].