(NAME-MCE) Higher Ed Groups Back Defense of Affirmative Action

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Higher Ed Groups Back Defense of Affirmative Action

A coalition of higher education associations is backing the  University of
Texas at Austin's defense of its affirmative action policies. The university
was sued based on its success in attracting  minority students during the
period that it was barred from using  affirmative action. Opponents of
affirmative action said that this  success demonstrated that affirmative
action wasn't necessary and  therefore didn't meet legal tests to justify
it. But a judge last year rejected that legal argument and  said that Texas
was within its rights to use a variety of tactics --  including affirmative
action -- to promote diversity. The backing from  national higher education
groups isn't surprising, since all of those  involved are on record backing
the use of affirmative action. "[T]his case implicates principles of
academic freedom and the ability of an  institution of higher education to
assemble a student body which best  serves its identity and mission," says
the brief filed by the organizations. "Many colleges and universities have
decided that the admission of a racially  and ethnically diverse student
body will serve their individual  educational missions."

More information:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/08/18/texas

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