Supreme Court to rule
on U of Michigan case Admissions policy goes under national scrutiny
Jusitn Boulmay Multicultural Beat
The controversial
issue of affirmative action is rearing its head once again, this
time involving the admissions program of the University of Michigan.
Three white students sued the school after they were denied from
entering the university. They claimed they were rejected because
the school’s admissions program favors minority students over
those in the majority.
Michigan’s admissions policy works on a 150-point scale. Applicants
receive points from a variety of areas, such as SAT scores and athletics.
Minority students are given 20 points. Scholarship athletes also
receive 20, while perfect SAT scores receive 12 points. A good essay
on a student’s application to the school receives one point.
Appalachian State University’s own admissions program does
not follow a point system, Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity
Harry L. Williams said.
He said he believes the real issue involving Michigan is the placement
of race over SAT scores and other variables in the point system.
“We look at social-economic background when determining admissions,
along with other objective variables like SAT scores,” Williams
said. “The competitiveness of one’s high school is taken
into account, along with whether the applicant is the first in his
or her family to go to college.”
Scholarships are also offered, although some students have commented
more on-going scholarship help is needed after an applicant’s
first year, Dean of Students Susie P. Greene said.
Greene also said the stability of the stock market affects how many
scholarships are awarded per year.
Senior elementary education major Andrew Layton said he believes
Appalachian is not doing enough to bring in diversity on campus.
He said the university does a good job of bringing in minorities
through athletics, especially African-Americans, but not in drawing
in other types of diversity.
Layton said more fraternities and sororities would help attract
students of different backgrounds.
Freshmen Joanna Martinez said she believes Appalachian is doing
a good job at promoting diversity. The university offers many clubs
and organizations for people, she said.
The policy of affirmative action has a long history, dating back
to the creation of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. Since then,
many steps have been taken to ensure equal treatment between majority
and minority persons.
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education
banned segregation in schools, and the Regents of the University
of California v. Bakke ruling in 1978 stated race can be used as
a factor in admissions but not as the sole factor.
Junior political science major Jonathan D. Kappler said he supports
affirmative action.
“I think that the little discrimination that might happen against
whites pales in comparison to what history has done to other minorities,”
he said.
