The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether race should influence public university admissions decisions, according to an announcement Monday. This marks the first time in two decades the court will address race-based admissions. The court's decision could affect the policies of many universities, including UW-Madison.
The court said it will hear two cases, Gruttner v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger, which originated when a group of white prospective undergraduate and law students at the University of Michigan sued the school, claiming they were unconstitutionally denied admission because of their race.
The students said the denial was in violation of the 14th amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
The Supreme Court decided to hear both cases even though Grutter v. Bollinger has not been fully tried in a lower appeals court. The cases are expected to be heard in March or April and decided by June.
In a statement issued after the court's announcement, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman said the quality of America's higher education system is at stake.
\A ruling overturning [the current law] could result in the immediate re-segregation of our nation's top universities, both public and private,"" she said.
Roger Clegg, vice president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, who wrote a brief on the plaintiffs' behalf, disagrees. He said when affirmative action is used for college admission it assumes minorities are less fortunate than white applicants.
""There's no reason why the University of Michigan should assume that just because a kid is white or because a kid is Asian that he grew up sipping martinis by the pool at the country club,"" he said.
Policies that give a boost to minorities in the admissions process not only discriminate against white people, but are demeaning to minority applicants as well, Clegg said.
""That kind of double standard is insulting,"" he said. ""I think it's a recipe for heightening rather than decreasing racial conflicts.""
Erik Christianson, a UW System spokesperson, said there is not a rigid system policy concerning race as a factor in admissions.
""Race is just one of many factors considered in the admissions process,"" he said.
If a ruling by the Supreme Court changes the affirmative action laws, Christianson said UW-Madison would have to change its policies to comply with the ruling.
According to UW-Madison emeritus law Professor Gordon Baldwin, a decision making the admissions process race neutral would be difficult to enforce.
""The bottom line is practicality,"" Baldwin said. ""How are they going to tell if race was a factor down the line?\
