UCLA’s Recruitment of Blacks Angers Some

September 1st, 2008

The university found a way around a state anti-affirmative action law

UCLA seems to have found away around a voter initiative that made it illegal to consider race and gender when deciding college admissions – but some believe the university’s policies are being manipulated in a way that cheats the voters of California . Twelve years ago, voters passed Proposition 209, which bars the state’s public universities from using race as a criterion in admissions. In the decade following the passage of the anti-affirmative action initiative, Black enrollment in the University of California system plummeted, and by 2006, only 103 of UCLA’s entering freshmen and 108 of its transfer students were African American – the shallowest level in 30 years. So UCLA got creative, adopting a “holistic” approach to admissions it says is much fairer. Under this plan, university officials began evaluating academic achievement, extracurricular activities and other criteria in context with applicants’ personal experiences. UCLA says it has struck pay dirt, as Black enrollment has crawled upward. For this school year, 230 of the 4,889 freshmen are African American – plus 100 transfer students. But critics, including political science Professor Tim Groseclose, say that UCLA isn’t as slick as it thinks. Last week, Groseclose quit the university’s Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Relations after accusing the campus’ top brass and his colleagues on the committee of a coverup. He had been denied the opportunity to officially study the rise in Black enrollment. “A growing body of evidence strongly suggests that UCLA is cheating on admissions,” he wrote in an 89-page report posted on a UCLA Web site. The university calls his claims bogus, saying he is drawing a false conclusion based on the increased diversity. What he fails to notice, officials say, is the university’s aggressive outreach, which was employed to counter an anti-minority law. “He’s taking an outcome and from that deducing a cause,” said Tom Lifka, associate vice chancellor for student academic services.

TAGS: 209, angeles, california, los, proposition, recruitment, ucla, university

Comments (27)

Comments

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prostudent Said on September 1st, 2008

As much as I support HBCU’s some of them don’t give us the extra edge when it comes to getting a job compared to students that graduated from a UCLA, Harvard, USC, Yale. The respect just isn’t there. For example, I had a friend major in Biology at a HBCU while another friend majored in Biology also but went to UC Irvine and was hired more quickly. I completely understand that the “white schools” don’t give us that experience among our fellow African-Americans but if we don’t get into this “white schools”, how will the white people learn to accept us more. They need to see us in the intelletural arena and not just in the workforce or negative media

JayMcMillan Said on September 2nd, 2008

While a degree from Harvard will open doors, it is your wit (GPA), your writing skills (resume), your personality (verbal skills) and extracurricula activities (community involvement & corporate internships) that speak volumes about your abilities and drive to knock any door down. Don’t let any perceived mental crutches (e.g., UCLA degree) hold you back, young people. Go over or around those racial barriers and be a survivor. You may not nail that first job interview, but you can’t stop there. Never, ever give up. Our Forefathers and mothers didn’t or we wouldn’t be here. You may have it tough, but they had it much tougher. Never fo’ get that!

mr. X Said on September 2nd, 2008

anna and prostudent I agree , keep the fight going .

Ang Said on September 2nd, 2008

Prostudent

Why do you believe the statement you made – “the white people learn to acccept us more” . We don’t need to have the acceptance of whites. If you study hard, carry yourself in a respectful manner, demand respect, be courteous to others, learn every thing there is to know about the profession you chose to do………acceptance will be given! And not necessarily by whites. As Jay McMillian said – While a degree from Harvard will open doors………It is you the person, selling your abilities and your knowledge that will get you that top notch job……….surely you can’t believe that statement you made…….if so, you haven’t learn anything from college and therefore should seek an all-around education from an HBCU. I’ll pray for you.

seschris Said on September 2nd, 2008

Prostudent:
I think I understand what you mean. Some employers simply do not respect a degree from a HBCU. I graduated from 2 white universities (undergrad and graduate),I worked at 2 HBCU’s and I worked at 2 white universities… it’s a different world in terms of how things are run, the value of the degree and the employment rate of college graduates from these universities. The black experience is nice but we don’t live in a black world and we won’t be working in one. I am always the only black and usually the highest ranked black in my department… had I went to a HBCU I might have had issues (culture shock) dealing with my work environment. Don’t get me wrong I’m not against HBCU’s…I’m just sharing what I’ve learned on the subject.

Anthony Perkins Said on September 2nd, 2008

My opinion is race vs. education, is old news if you are educated enough to know the history of the U.S.A. Nevertheless, there are other schools to attend so UCLA just has issues with staff being racially snobby!

simmy Said on September 3rd, 2008

every one is making good points, but in my opinion it’s not what you know it’s who you know in the real world, i dont care what degree you got or where you get it from.

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