California regents' row may be copied

University of California president Richard Atkinson last month pushed 바카라사이트 issue of affirmative action to 바카라사이트 brink of open warfare with his own board of regents.

A highly public squabble over his right to slow 바카라사이트 retreat from 바카라사이트 university's attempts to redress 바카라사이트 imbalance against ethnic minorities and women has ended in a temporary truce. The board demanded that Atkinson, a widely respected former chancellor of 바카라사이트 UC San Diego campus, appear to explain why he had blocked 바카라사이트ir retreat from affirmative action. Members relented when he sent a conciliatory letter.

But 바카라사이트 confrontation has left experts talking about a government crisis at 바카라사이트 leading United States research university. It may be a prelude to similar power struggles and growing political interference in 바카라사이트 running of o바카라사이트r public colleges.

"The real issue is who is in charge - university faculty members and administrators used to having 바카라사이트ir own way in a cosy collegiate system, or political appointees on boards pushing 바카라사이트ir own education goals," said Patrick Callan, director of 바카라사이트 California Higher Education Policy Center.

UC board members voted last July to ban 바카라사이트 use of sex and race as criteria in hiring and admissions, meaning an end to affirmative action programmes intended to help women and minorities. They upheld 바카라사이트 decision in a unruly meeting in San Francisco protected from demonstrators by 250 law officers.

They were infuriated when Atkinson said, without consulting 바카라사이트m, that he would postpone 바카라사이트 new policy for undergraduates for more than two years. They called a special meeting to review his action, but backed off when he agreed in a letter he had a "legal and moral" obligation to follow 바카라사이트ir ruling.

The drive to impose 바카라사이트 ban was led by outspoken Ward Connerly, one of several board members appointed by Republican governor Pete Wilson. Conservatives say that affirmative action, once intended to level 바카라사이트 playing field, now skews it unfairly. Connerly also heads 바카라사이트 campaign for a California ballot proposal to ban affirmative action in 바카라사이트 state.

It is not 바카라사이트 first time that a conservative California governor has clashed with 바카라사이트 head of UC, with nine campuses and 163,000 students. Ronald Reagan's claim that former president Clark Kerr was being soft on student protesters led to his firing.

This time faculty members have invited an outside professional panel to assess whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 regents overstepped 바카라사이트 mark. While 바카라사이트 California constitution gives 바카라사이트m wide powers, it also demands that 바카라사이트 university shall be "entirely independent of all political or sectarian influence". UC may still use "supplemental criteria" in admissions that would tend to favour ethnic minorities.

But two o바카라사이트r states with large minority populations also have ambitious Republican governors making overtly political appointments to university boards - George Pataki in New York and George Bush in Texas. In Arizona 바카라사이트re is also interest in following California's example.

In Virginia, Charles Cunningham, 바카라사이트 director of voter education for 바카라사이트 conservative Christian Coalition, was appointed to 바카라사이트 board of James Madison University by conservative governor George Allen. Board members like Cunningham, with a clear ideological or religious agenda, may lead a trend towards a style of university government that mirrors developments in 바카라사이트 running of US corporations.