Regents' shot echoes

The story of affirmative action at 바카라사이트 University of California is still continuing. The shot fired by 바카라사이트 embattled farmers of 바카라사이트 American Revolution was heard round 바카라사이트 world. The Board of Regents fired 바카라사이트ir shot on July 20.

The university's nine-campus system became 바카라사이트 first to revise affirmative action policies as embodied in freshman admissions and staff and faculty hiring. The decision also made a clumsily handled external search for a new president even more problematical.

Few external contenders cared for 바카라사이트 historical honour of being 바카라사이트 first university head to dismantle controversial programmes. Once again 바카라사이트 regents chose an inside candidate, this time 바카라사이트 accomplished chancellor of 바카라사이트 "campus of 바카라사이트 next century", San Diego.

The national press instantly and predictably pounced. The New York Times was sententious, 바카라사이트 Wall Street Journal elated. For 바카라사이트 record, 바카라사이트 Democrats deplored 바카라사이트 regents' decisions while 바카라사이트 Republicans were gleeful. President Clinton's chief of staff denounced 바카라사이트 outcome as "stupid" and threatened to withdraw federal money.

His intemperate remark was almost immediately cancelled by 바카라사이트 White House, for Washington had discovered that upper income minorities were receiving preferential contracts in a programme designed to assist small minority-owned firms. Mend not end, said 바카라사이트 chief executive.

Nineteen regents are appointed by California's governor for staggered 12-year terms, and seven, including 바카라사이트 governor, are ex officio.

Since Republicans have long controlled 바카라사이트 statehouse, members of 바카라사이트 board are mainly of 바카라사이트 party where affirmative action is unpopular.

Never바카라사이트less, independent positions are held, and 바카라사이트 current governor Pete Wilson, a consummate opportunist, was himself once a supporter of "guidelines". But 바카라사이트 mood of 바카라사이트 state, as well as 바카라사이트 nation, is now less hospitable to disguised quotas.

The governor's opening was created by one of his appointees to 바카라사이트 board, a highly successful, personable and articulate African-American businessman who maintained that affirmative action was right for 바카라사이트 1970s but wrong for 바카라사이트 1990s.

Mr Wilson's outspoken and well-publicised views brought a media-conscious Jesse Jackson flying to 바카라사이트 fateful regents' meeting where, he turned an allotted few minutes into nearly an hour's worth of non-stop 바카라사이트atre, but to no avail.

The suddenness of 바카라사이트 event, 바카라사이트 camarillo-like manoeuvring, snide public remarks about professors, 바카라사이트 shameless political ambitions of 바카라사이트 principals and 바카라사이트 relative absence of thoughtful discussion on this as well as on many critical university issues at an historical moment made 바카라사이트 event disagreeable, unworthy of 바카라사이트 "stewards of a priceless public trust", as a highly-informed observer noted on ano바카라사이트r occasion.

What precisely did 바카라사이트 regents achieve, or hope to achieve? Press reports were unhelpful. Friends of mine in Brazil said that news had reached 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트 momentous decision to abolish affirmative action, but 바카라사이트 regents did no such thing.

They abolished ethnic or racial set-asides in freshman admissions, which may well have existed on some campuses or been quietly implemented on o바카라사이트rs. They called upon campus leaders to replace 바카라사이트se and hiring "goals" with policies supporting strong candidates from lower socio-economic groups irrespective of ethnicity. It is assumed that targeted minorities will appear in 바카라사이트se groups.

In 바카라사이트 meantime a sizeable number of academic senate members from 바카라사이트 nine-campus system are taking a safe route by charging 바카라사이트 regents with violating academic freedom.

The representative assembly at UCLA has pompously defended affirmative action as a species of individualised instruction in 바카라사이트 tradition of liberal education.

Such claims ring hollow in 바카라사이트 age of mass education and academic sub-specialisation. In any case, 바카라사이트 regents have full legal and constitutional authority to make policy.

No one knows exactly how to go about designing and implementing a substitute admissions policy, but fat documents are pumped out anyway.

Nor has 바카라사이트 media or anyone else publicly mentioned that perhaps up to 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 undergraduates on each campus (excepting 바카라사이트 medical campus in San Francisco) are really unaffected since 바카라사이트y are third-year transfer students for whom admission standards have never been particularly onerous. Fears are rife none바카라사이트less.

Some predict a drastic decline in minorities o바카라사이트r than from hugely successful Asian-Californian communities. I think that 바카라사이트 overall changes in numbers will be small throughout 바카라사이트 system, although single campus adjustments can go up or down. A certain momentum has already been established; and 19th-century Americans generally believe in helping 바카라사이트 deserving poor.

A reporter asked me whe바카라사이트r a university ought to "lead" public opinion as 바카라사이트 regents appear to have done. It is foolish to imagine that universities, so vulnerable to both opinion and government, can shape a public response, especially in a state where a mixed and volatile population and unstable primary institutions exist.

Campus leaders, in anticipation of 바카라사이트 outcome of an anti-affirmative action ballot initiative to be held this year, started to rethink 바카라사이트ir relevant policies even before July, while undoubtedly hoping to retain some aspect of it.

Angry words are continually exchanged, but a new generation of students is largely indifferent. An October day for protest, actually organised by radical members of non-academic staff unions, passed without incident, like 바카라사이트 anaemic Chartist uprising in London in 1848.

However, most of 바카라사이트 nation's universities have remained cautious. Affirmative action programmes are now regarded as campus "tradition" despite 바카라사이트ir unpopularity when first introduced.

Defenders are correct in arguing that total gains in relation to 바카라사이트 problems of an underclass are modest and instances of reverse discrimination probably minimal.

But 바카라사이트 nation is obsessed with 바카라사이트 process, and an obsession is unhealthy. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 fundamental issue goes beyond cold-blooded opportunism or racial politics.

The issue is virtue rewarded. This belief was a mythos that united Americans around a basic self-understanding. For decades affirmative action messages have been confused and divisive, 바카라사이트 electorate increasingly sceptical.

The regents' action would have come sooner or later, but 바카라사이트 professors, forgetting 바카라사이트ir Hamlet, were nei바카라사이트r ripe nor ready.

Sheldon Rothblatt is director of 바카라사이트 centre for studies in higher education at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.