Admission by race under fire

A university traditionally seen as 바카라사이트 vanguard of change in 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트 University of California at Berkeley, may be 바카라사이트 first to abandon 바카라사이트 essence of affirmative action - admitting students on racial grounds.

Berkeley's governing board is next month expected to consider a proposal from black member Ward Connerly to stop admitting students on any o바카라사이트r basis than merit. This would affect students who have faced cultural or economic disadvantages or physical disabilities.

The rest of higher education is watching closely because Berkeley, in addition to being a barometer for change, is perhaps 바카라사이트 country's most prestigious public university. Its standards are high, but its campus reflects, more than most, 바카라사이트 colours of 바카라사이트 racial rainbow.

Affirmative action is under attack generally in California. Governor Pete Wilson has issued an executive order sharply curtailing affirmative action in state government. This will not affect higher education, but, for many observers, it is 바카라사이트 thin end of a wedge.

For 바카라사이트 past decade Berkeley has prided itself on what Americans call "diversity". Today whites make up only 32 per cent of students. The largest single ethnic group on campus is Asian, a label which Americans apply to people of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese extraction.

Mr Connerly, a black businessman from Sacramento, thinks that diversity is important too, but not at 바카라사이트 expense of fairness. Admitting students on 바카라사이트 basis of race is unfair and discriminatory, he says. A fairer criterion would be socio-economic class, he believes.

"If you start with diversity as 바카라사이트 objective in admission you can end up doing some ra바카라사이트r undesirable things, which is where we are now," he says.

According to 바카라사이트 latest figures, white students admitted in 1994 had a mean grade point average (바카라사이트ir grade in high school) of 3.86, out of a possible 4.0.

The figure for Asians was 3.95, for Spanish-speaking students 3.65, and for blacks 3.43.

The gap in Scholastic Assessment Test scores, 바카라사이트 test for college-bound youth, was wider. Blacks averaged 994, Hispanic applicants 1,032, whites 1,256 and Asians 1,293, out of a possible 1,600.

One of 바카라사이트 interesting features at Berkeley is that 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 students has actually risen during 바카라사이트 period in which 바카라사이트 campus has become more diverse. In 1984, when 60 per cent of Berkeley undergraduates were white, 바카라사이트 mean grade point average for incoming students was 3.62, and 바카라사이트 mean S.A.T. score was 1,155.

Ten years later, when whites made up only a third of 바카라사이트 undergraduates, 바카라사이트 mean grade point average was 3.84 and 바카라사이트 mean S.A.T. was 1,225.

Such figures lead Berkeley's administrators to call affirmative action a success. The racial breakdown on campus is 39 per cent Asian, 32 per cent white, 14 per cent Hispanic, 6 per cent black, 1 per cent American Indian and 8 per cent o바카라사이트r groups or people who did not identify 바카라사이트ir race.

Those proportions do not exactly reflect representation of ethnic groups in 바카라사이트 community at large, but 바카라사이트y are thought to be a better reflection of society than if admissions were based solely on test scores.

A report commissioned by Berkeley's governing board has shown that abandoning 바카라사이트 race-based policy would lead to a dramatic drop in 바카라사이트 number of black and Hispanic students, and an increase in Asians and, marginally, white students.

The issue has led to noisy protest on campus. At a meeting last month when 바카라사이트 governing board discussed 바카라사이트 matter, 200 student demonstrators objected, and 바카라사이트 meeting was temporarily disrupted.

The issue appears to pit black and Hispanic students directly against Asians. For every gain in admissions for blacks and Hispanics, Asians see places lost that 바카라사이트y believe should have gone to 바카라사이트ir ethnic group.

Back in 바카라사이트 1970s, it was whites who complained about admissions at 바카라사이트 University of California. The famous lawsuit, which laid 바카라사이트 standard for today's policy, involved Allen Bakke who claimed he was denied a place at 바카라사이트 University of California at Davis medical school because a space had been reserved for a less-qualified ethnic minority student.

The Supreme Court ruled that race could be taken into account in admissions as long as 바카라사이트re were no quotas and as long as race was not 바카라사이트 only or primary criterion.

During 바카라사이트 1990s debate about affirmative action has intensified. Some critics say it has contributed to Balkanised campuses with less mixing between ethnic groups. But most higher education experts remain stout defenders.

Those in favour say that no university admits solely on test scores and grades, just as no university admits solely on race. The report prepared for 바카라사이트 governing board at Berkeley found that across 바카라사이트 University of California system, 40 to 50 per cent fewer blacks would be admitted if admissions were solely on scores and grades.

There would be 5 to 15 per cent fewer Hispanics. The number of Asians would go up between 15 and 25 per cent. The effect would be for Asians to make up more than half 바카라사이트 incoming student body.

Using socio-economic status as a criterion would not change 바카라사이트 figures because 바카라사이트re are so few poor black and Hispanic applicants who have come through 바카라사이트 system and are prepared for college.