‘Michigan is at the center of it all’
The Detroit News ran a lengthy piece today about the anticipation leading up to the admissions policy the University is expected to release, if the newspaper is to be believed, this week. The university plans to apply the new policy for the class entering January 2004. However, were there’s smoke, opportunistic Trotskyite organizers aren’t far behind:
“Luke Massie, a national leader for Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), said groups like his, which have organized students in support of affirmative action, will be closely monitoring the new system.
“The legal basis of affirmative action was strengthened by the Supreme Court,” Massie said. “What the new civil rights movement will be demanding of U-M and other institutions is that there be no drop in the number of minority students.”
Officials said they strive to enroll a student body that is academically excellent and diverse, something that will not change. But enrollment of specific groups varies from year to year depending on the characteristics of the applicant pool.
Meanwhile, the article interviews one person who seems to have put their finger on an important issue. The points system was a secret until a FOIA request by Carl Cohen forced the University to make it public, and the result of the supreme court striking it down is that the University can create a new, secret policy. One positive outcome of the lawsuit is that everybody knew exactly what the policy was, although I find it hard to believe the FOIA requests won’t quickly follow the announcement of a new policy:
“”For critics of affirmative action, this might be worse,” said Samuel Issacharoff, a Columbia University law professor who represented the University of Texas in a case that temporarily banned the use of affirmative action in Texas.
“One of the odd things about the two decisions is that they reward nontransparency,” Issacharoff said. “The undergraduate admissions program had transparency. This is a consequence … they now won’t be able to easily ascertain what they’re doing.”
> From Det. News: “U-M readies new policy”