Education

University of Ga. Delays Race Policy

By Vaishali Honawar — February 23, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A task force has delayed the addition of race as a factor in admissions at the University of Georgia at Athens, at least until fall 2006, because it needed more time to clear up legal issues surrounding the proposed change.

The university’s former race-inclusive admissions policy was struck down by a federal judge in 2001. Since then, the number of African-American students enrolling at the university has declined, although total minority enrollment has increased, said Keith Parker, the vice provost for institutional diversity.

In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in two cases involving the University of Michigan that colleges may consider race in admissions as long as all applicants are considered individually and race is not the defining factor in the decisions.

The University of Georgia set up the task force to consider including race once again in its admissions policy in a way “that would not put the university in a legal tailspin,” Mr. Parker said.

He added that the university is also taking the initiative on other fronts to raise minority enrollment so that campus diversity might increase in the future without using race as an admissions criterion.

Its efforts include engaging faculty and alumni with high school and middle school students in the state to encourage minority students to apply to the university.

David D. Roberts, the task force chairman, said that while the university wants to reach a point at which it does not need to consider race, it would take time to do so.

“We would be cheating students now if we don’t have a diverse student body,” Mr. Roberts said.

After the Supreme Court rulings, all three universities that were operating under federal court orders barring the use of race in admissions announced plans to restore race as a factor. But so far, only Michigan has adopted a revised admissions policy.

For the fall 2005 entering class, the University of Texas at Austin will consider race. University President Larry Faulkner had pledged to have the new policy immediately after the high court ruling. Implementation was delayed because state law requires the university to inform the public about such a change a year in advance, spokesman Don Hale said.

A version of this article appeared in the February 23, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 11, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 27, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 20, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week