University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Diversity Under tire PlaintilTs challenge the discriminatory components of UC BerJKeley ' s admissions process and its definition of academic merit... This is an excerpt of the lawsuit filed against the University over racial admissions issues. UC Bci-keley. once recognized lor its diversity, has come under increasing criticism tor the reduction in admissions of minority applicants. This recent lawsuit is unique in that it doesn ' t directl attach Proposition 209 as many other lawsuits have, but instead at- tacks the newly created admissions policy of UC Berkelc), which was changed in accor- dance with Resolution SP-I . adopted by the UC Regents to eliminate affirmative action in the University system alter the passing of Prop. 209. The plaintiffs of this lawsuit are Atrican American. Chicano Latino, and Pilipino American past and future applicants for admission to UC Berkeley (Lawsuit text.) They are represented by well-known organizations such as the NAACP and ACLU. This lawsuit contends that the policy of UC Berkeley grants unjustified preferential consideration to applicants who have taken certain courses that are less accessible in high schools attended largely by [the plaintiffs |. and that the policy allows and encourages the admissions officers to stress standardized test scores and to make judgements based i I features

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STUDENTS cil Cal. as Jciiioiislrulecl by these two tinisiciuns, have a n-tilc variety of talents. Appproxitnalely 25-50 percent of the incoming freshman class is udmiltcd Iniscd on factors that lake these talents into AMONG MANY other dedicated students, a Cal student tables on Sproiil Plaza. The extrucurricidar activities of prospective students are becoming increasingly important, due to the competative admissions process. ludcnts who are in the top 4 ' ' ' c of ihcii- high school classes in California. This will ensure ihai the siiKlenis w lio ha e excelled in their schools will ha e the opportunits to attend a UC school, fhis isn ' t expected to increase ininorit applicants b more than l o system wide, but it ' s been touted as an important first step to making the campus more accessible to the students in the state, lesus . lena of the office of public information predicted that no real change will appear in the di ersii of the Beikele campus based on the simple lacl that all of the students here are in the lop 4 v of their high school classes already. The Regents are voting on the proposal in March, and it is predicted to pass. The increase in competition for admission to Berkeley has presented man challenges to the administrators in charge of admissions polic . ' fhe plan that the have come up with is. in iheii ' e es. the most comprehensisc and lair polic possible w ithin the law. Lentil I ' lop 20 ' -) is re ersed or other changes are made, thi-- policv will continue to decide the composition of this campus. Afcadio Lainez Jr admissions

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on educationally insignificant dilTercnccs in test scores. It fesolved to ineiease divei-sitx in the school and the number of mi- goes on to allege that the policy ' s admissions b exception provi- sion . designetl to admit stuilcnts sho ma not have the academic requirements tuliilleel hut show other standing; qualities, in prac- tice. disproportionateK iasois hite students. norities. ITIie school] was surprised and saddened to see the law- suit because |the minorit groups and the school | ha e tradition- ally been allies. said jesus Mciia ol the Ollice ol Public Relations. The University is in a ditlicult situation because it wishes to Figures shou that 11.2 ' of white applicants were admitted be able to admit the same di ersity of students as in the past, but is for the fall l ' - ' )8 semester, compared to only 18» ' of Pilipino American. 19.5 () of .African American, and ZO.b ' v of Latino American applicants. They also how thai 48.2 ' of white appli- cant with a CiPA of 4.U oi higher were accepted as opposed to only ll.b ' c of Pilipino .Americans. jS. ' i of African .Americans. and 39.7% o ' Latino Americaii with similar GP.As. These figures arc cited b the plaintiffs as indications of discrimination. The law- suit is based on litle 1 v the Ci il Rights Act of 19b4 and the Fourteenth Amcnil- nient to the Lnited States Constitution. It states that the school has not justified its current criteria for admissions and that changing the policv. w hich had mitigated the impact of the other components of the admissions policy before Prop. 204. is dis- criminatory. The University ' s position is that ihc ha e the fairest polic possible within the constraints of the law. The administration ' s point is that since the law prohibits the explicit use of race and ethnicity as a criteria for admission. (Resolution .SP-1 ). they are not able to admit minority applicants by the former criteria. Ac- currently unable to change the admissions policies to guarantee such results. The school feels that the decrease in minority admis- sions is a rcnection of the problems with the K- 1 2 system. Because of disparities in the education that students receise. they are not as competitive when appl ing to college. According to University ol- ficials. affirmative action used to bridge the gap between disad- vantaged students and the lest. but it has been eliminated. Since it is gone, the Universitv must find dif- ferent wa s to addiess the problem, such as using outreach program to increase the qualitv of educatiim lor disadvantaged students. lAcn though many student groups on campus are dedicated to this cause, the Liniversitv fecL that the se)lution needs to go lur- ihei ' . The soonei the problems with the K-12 system are addressed, the sooner the di eisit ol the school can be improved. It remains to be seen what the results of this lawsuit will be. but one thing remains certain. The issues of diversiiv and equal opportunities for higher education remain important to the present cording to the office oi Public Information, the University is still and future students at Cal. By Diana Chai Photo, page 24, by Arcadio Lainez Photo this page by Dan Thomas-Glass A STUDENT lopposilc pagcl voices her opinion in dcfcnsL ' ofciffirmalive action on the steps of Sproul Hull lit liincli lime. CONCERNED MEMBERS Uibove) of the Berkeley coiitmunity join students at an early demonstration protesting the cut in funding for tlie ethnic studies department, a move by the administration tliat many people saw as connected to the passing of Proposition 209. lawsuit 25