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Affirmative action: What you need to know

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Sunday, Apr 20, 2008 - 01:10:46 am CDT

Q. What is the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative?

A. Nebraska’s branch of the American Civil Rights Initiative, a group that wants to end race- and gender-based affirmative action in public admissions and hiring decisions. The group has been successful in California, Washington and Michigan.

The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative hopes to put an affirmative-action ban before voters in November. Right now, it is collecting petition signatures to get the issue on the ballot. The goal: 115,000 by July 4.

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A ban on affirmative action would mean UNL would have to re-evaluate certain recruiting events. (Hilary Kindschuh / Lincoln Journal Star)...

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Signing means you support putting the measure to end race- and gender-based affirmative action on the November ballot.

Q. Would the initiative end all forms of affirmative action?

A. No. Affirmative action for certain economic and geographic groups would still be permitted. The University of Nebraska, for example, could give scholarships based on income and could recruit students from specific parts of the state.

Q. How would an affirmative action ban affect NU?

A. That isn’t clear. Certainly, the university would have to re-evaluate certain recruiting events, like Native American College Day, leadership conferences for promising black and Hispanic students and scholarship programs geared toward racial minorities. NU leaders say all of those efforts are in jeopardy.

The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative says diversity scholarships should be reformulated to be based on income and that NU could still host recruitment events focusing on minorities if the events were open to all students.

Some NU leaders fear there could be intangible effects, too, like a perception to out-of-state recruits that Nebraska isn’t supportive of diversity.

Q. Are students in danger of losing their scholarships?

A. It’s unlikely a student already promised a scholarship would lose it. Future students would be most affected.

Q. Are peoples’ jobs in danger?

A. No. Those whose jobs focus on multicultural education may see their duties shift, but their jobs would not be eliminated.

Q. Where does NU stand on the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative?

A. President J.B. Milliken, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, the NU Board of Regents and others oppose it. A student coalition, Students United for Nebraska, also has formed to fight the initiative.

Others at UNL, including some professors, support it.

Q. How would other state institutions be affected by an affirmative action ban?

A. All public institutions — fire departments, police departments, the Nebraska State College System and more — would have to follow the same law: No hiring decisions based on race or gender.

Most of those institutions have yet to weigh in on the debate. Gov. Dave Heineman also has not taken a stance.

Q. What about private businesses and colleges, like Nebraska Wesleyan University and Doane College?

A. Private institutions that do not depend on tax dollars could continue to make whatever admissions decisions they wish. The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative applies only to public institutions.

— Melissa Lee


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John Rosenberg wrote on April 20, 2008 7:28 am:
" I have been closely following the debate over state civil rights initiatives since well before the 2006 vote in Michigan (where it passed with 58% of the vote). (See my blog, www.discriminations.us if you'd like to read any of this, or follow the campaigns going on now.) The striking thing about this Q&A on the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative is that it is fair, neutral, and objective. You wouldn't think that would be so rare in major newspapers writing about this issue, but I can assure you that it is. "

 Interesting wrote on April 20, 2008 12:52 pm:
" What is so wrong about the best and brightest getting scholarships and entry to College? It shouldn't matter what color your skin or what gender you are as long as you meet the requirements. Do we continue to "dumb down" our academia or do we push for a higher standard from all our students and professors? I don't want someone lowering standards so I can get in, I would rather work a little harder and know that I deserve my spot.

College isn't special anymore, it isn't for the best of the best. Anyone can get a degree. And we teach our children mediocrity when they are young....we give trophies to everyone...even if they don't try. "

 GMP wrote on April 20, 2008 1:34 pm:
" I agree with interesting. If you work hard and are the best, why should you be shut out by someone else, who isn't as good, but who is "protected". In this country if you want to do well, you can. If someone wants a scholarship, let them earn it. Maybe youth would work harder if they knew they weren't going to get a break. Only award the deserving, not everyone. Maybe they will try. "

 Nic Swiercek wrote on April 20, 2008 1:42 pm:
" To Interesting:

No standards are "lowered" to let people in with affirmative action programs. The University of Nebraska admits everyone who meets the university's entrance requirements. The University of Nebraska does not admit or exclude people due to affirmative action policies. Instead, the University _recruits_ underrepresented individuals (this includes men for nursing and elementary education programs) and provides a fraction of all scholarships and grants to underrepresented individuals, all of which require strong academic merit (high GPAs, honors classes, etc). Affirmative action programs level the playing field and bring in talented individuals who may not have been drawn to the university. This is particularly the case when we consider that the bulk of UNL's Regents and Chancellor scholarships go overwhelmingly toward white men in Nebraska. "

 Interesting wrote on April 20, 2008 5:41 pm:
" If applicants are judged by their GPA and qualifications only and not by the color of their skin then why must there be special recruitment days? If I am Green and I apply to many colleges I should be chosen because of my qualifications only, not because I am Green. Having a diverse college at the expense of choosing a person because of their color or gender over another is just wrong.

You cannot tell me that standards are not lowered. I bet if I were to apply for college right now I could get in, just based on my "minority status". Why don't I apply? Because I am not a good student and have done well for myself working on my own. I excel at other things, not in the classroom. "

 Nic Swiercek wrote on April 20, 2008 6:17 pm:
" Regrettably 'Interesting' ignores the fact that the University of Nebraska admits _everyone_ as long as they meet basic academic entrance requirements. Again, UNL only _recruits_ (not admits) individuals into programs and for scholarships that consider race, nationality, gender, and national origin as one of many factors. UNL's admissions policies do not amount to a zero sum game where one person gets in at another's expense. The problem that affirmative action programs (i.e., scholarships and outreach programs) address is the slightly higher proportion of underrepresented individuals who are not drawn into the broader, more plentiful scholarships and outreach programs used by institutions such as UNL. Again, affirmative action programs, as utilized by the University of Nebraska, are about leveling the playing field for equal access.

Put simply, if a student is of a minority background and _does not_ meet the academic requirements to enter UNL or receive a scholarship, that individual will not get in or receive a scholarship. Nobody gets into UNL or receives a scholarship _only_ because they are a minority. "

 To Nic wrote on April 20, 2008 9:09 pm:
" Nick, sorry, you are wrong. UNL admits minority graduate students that would not be considered if they were white. Of course, the university does not want people to know this, and would punish a faculty member for revealing the facts. But, they are the facts. "

 ? wrote on April 21, 2008 8:18 am:
" Why would a university like UNL recruit a minority student without the intent of admitting the student? "

 Gerard Harbison wrote on April 21, 2008 1:57 pm:
" Nic Swiercek's comment is part false and part prevarication. We do not admit everyone who meets our entrance requirements; we turn down far more than we admit to most of our graduate programs. And while we don't turn down qualified undergraduate applications, we do admit a substantial number of undergraduate applicants who don't meet qualifications if they happen to be minorities (or for a few other reasons). "

 To: To Nic wrote on April 21, 2008 2:44 pm:
" Nic and you are not talking about the same thing. Nic is talking about undergraduate admission. UNL accepts EVERYONE who meets the minimum qualifications, which are not high.

Graduate school is an entirely different animal all together. "

 HPG wrote on April 21, 2008 5:24 pm:
" Wow, you mean no more discrimination against white males under the age of 40!?! Boy, it would be nice to be on equal footing with the other employees at my job with the Peoples Republic of Nebraska. "

 Justin M. wrote on April 23, 2008 10:45 pm:
" I do not believe Connerly's initiative is needed in Nebraska. The state is predominately White.

According to the 2000 Census, the racial breakdown of Nebraska is:
White: 89.6% (1,533,261)
African-American/Black: 4.0% (68,541)
Asian: 0.9% (14,896)
Native American: 1.3% (21,931)

As a result, UNL is also predominately White. According to review.com, there are 17371 undergraduates at UNL. 85% or 14765 are White. 2% or 347 are Black.

Which group has the power? Is it the minuscule 2% or the mighty 85%? Ward Connerly is asking us to suspend reality to believe the 2% are powerful. Please reject his initiative proposal. "

 Mark wrote on April 29, 2008 9:19 pm:
" Liberals say they are always about "the people" but here they don't want "the people" to have a chance to vote on this. Interesting. "

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