UC, Take Down the ‘Not Wanted’ Signs

Five years ago, the University of California declared itself a “colorblind meritocracy” by eliminating all of its affirmative action programs.

Educators, political leaders and anyone who cares about the future of California must now ask whether we are better off as a society than we were five years ago. I believe we are not. Indeed, the results of this five-year social experiment suggest serious, long-term repercussions for California’s social fabric. Diversity, once a hallmark of the UC, is now an afterthought.

Consider the three pillars of society: law, medicine and education. The University of California is responsible for producing the vast majority of the state’s next generation of lawyers, doctors and educators. Recently, UC announced that enrollment of underrepresented minorities at its medical schools dropped 12.5% between 1998 and 1999. This was despite a 30% increase in admission offers to underrepresented minorities. Since 1993, minority enrollment has dropped more than 40%.

While the UC might be admitting more minority medical students, it’s not enrolling as many as it used to. Too many qualified students are unwilling to go to an institution where they perceive that they are not wanted. The same is true at UC law schools. This year, UCLA’s law school enrolled just two African American students out of a class of nearly 300.

These trends are cause for even more concern when one considers teacher training. The UC will begin increasing its role as a trainer of teachers for the state’s K-12 schools, where 60% of students are members of ethnic minority groups but less than 25% of their teachers are non-white.

In the long term, this lack of representation will adversely affect the state’s economy.

Diversity in these and other professions is more than a question of educational equity, it is a matter of public health and vibrant communities. Physicians who can understand their patients’ language, values and unique health concerns improve the quality of the state’s health care. Lawyers committed to underserved communities devote time to public interest law and other matters of justice often neglected by larger firms. Educators who understand the background and environment of their students become strong role models.

Likewise, studies have found that minority physicians, lawyers and teachers are more likely to serve communities of color, the poor and the uninsured. They are also more likely to work in minority neighborhoods and rural areas, where the need is greatest.

This is not to say that only minority professionals can serve minority communities; rather, it is to remember that the mission of UC from its inception has been to educate all Californians.

Here’s what we can do to help remedy this crisis.

* Consider the repeal of UC anti-affirmative action policies, officially known as SP-1 and SP-2. Proposition 209 has been approved by the voters and makes the UC policies unnecessary. More important, by repealing SP-1 and SP-2, the regents would reassert that UC is committed to enrolling all students and would reassure minority students that they are welcome and wanted. This would be a major step toward reestablishing the university’s commitment to providing equal access to higher education and would help get top minority students to enroll in the UC. These policies appear to be real barriers to getting top minority students to enroll.

* UC should aggressively recruit a diverse pool of applicants for administrative and faculty positions. The introduction of the newest campus, UC Merced, along with the growth on existing campuses, will necessitate the hiring of a projected 4,000 new faculty over the next 10 years. It is vital that these new faces reflect the faces of California.

* Support K-12 education so that all kids are ready for college. Outreach must be more than just a side issue. UC needs to share its resources with the state’s K-12 schools to improve preparation and encourage young students to pursue a college education. We need to ensure that all children have equal access to quality teachers, advanced placement courses and technology.

No one, not even opponents of affirmative action, can be happy that we have lost ground in our effort to make the University of California more representative. Diversity is California’s destiny. Taking these steps would ensure that the UC reflects our state’s highest aspirations as well as its demographic realities.