On Nov. 7, Michigan voted in a referendum to ban the use of race as a factor in state university admissions.
Racism and sexism are still a fact of life in America. Officials at Michigan universities were denied an opportunity to help correct these evils of the past that continue to the present.
Many people who oppose affirmative action simply don't understand how it works today. In most situations, the unfair system of quotas have been abandoned. In their place is a system that gives credit to a minority if he is tied with a candidate who is otherwise equal.
There is one important factor hindering the success of current affirmative action, though. In many cases, it focuses only on race, instead of on class. In the past the poor have been marginalized just as much as racial or ethnic minorities. The disadvantaged deserve just as much of a leg up as racial minorities.
The news of Michigan voters' decision should lead AU to reexamine its own policy. Although AU has a policy of affirmative action and touts itself as a diverse university, few agree that the policy is actually working. The Class of 2010 is comprised of 5 percent international students and a mere 14 percent minorities, according to the AU Admissions Web site. Students coming from very diverse high schools might find themselves realizing that AU is actually less diverse than home, while minorities are left wondering where all the other minorities who appeared in admissions brochures actually are.
Any number of factors (admissions policies, cost, etc.) could explain the tiny minority population at AU, and it's good to know that affirmative action won't be banned here anytime soon. But perhaps we should re-examine how to apply affirmative action here to make AU into an even more diverse educational environment.
