UGA Freshmen Still ‘Mostly White’

Stories like this are a hoot, and I’m always glad to see a comment section. Common sense injected into obsessive nonsense. Look at all those numbers. Racial bean-counting at its worst.

The freshman class at the University of Georgia at Athens (UGA) is still “mostly white,” (since the U.S. is still mostly white, isn’t this to be expected?) reads the article, but the number of blacks, Hispanics, and Asians (typically a non-preferred minority group) is increasing.

Commenters to the article raise the issue whether UGA uses racial preferences to increase skin deep-only diversity on campus. Does UGA consider race an admissions factor? From the web site:

The proportion of students of color (African American, Latino, Asian American and Native American) at the University of Georgia is small enough that those students are likely to be a “solo minority” or part of a very small group of students, particularly in the small non-lecture-format classes where their contributions to discussion are most valuable. As Gudeman has pointed out, research in social psychology has demonstrated that “a solo is more likely to be objectified and treated as a representative of a category than as a unique person.”

We have a statement from the faculty, posted in the admissions section, implying that a racial minority might feel weird being the only minority in class, because he’s “more likely” to be objectified and perceived as a representative of his racial group, and not as a “unique person.”

Forget about what’s “more likely” to happen. An admissions committee that considers an applicant’s race an admissions qualification definitely is objectifying the minority and treating him as a representative of his group. And why assume a minority’s contributions to the class discussion will be “valuable” based on the color of his skin? Stereotype much? Unbelievable. But they get a pass. Stereotyping is okay when it involves positive traits.

Race neutral alternatives at the University of Georgia have failed to achieve the critical mass of racially and ethnically diverse students to achieve a rich learning environment in our academic community. The University rejects quotas and other mechanical approaches that treat any single factor as a defining feature of an applicant’s file. Nevertheless, it has compelling interest in considering race and ethnicity as one among many factors in consideration for admission.

Nevertheless, it has compelling interest in considering race and ethnicity as one among many factors in consideration for admission.

The answer is yes, UGA considers race an admissions factor. In 2001, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found UGA’s racial preferences policy unconstitutional. If that’s the case, why is the school still considering race in admissions? Old-fashioned sleight of hand. The court struck down UGA’s point system, as the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the University of Michigan’s undergraduate point system in Gratz v. Bollinger. UGA continues to use race in admissions, based on the court’s ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger.

The problem with the racial preferences policy, aside from the obvious, is the odor left in its wake. Even if a black student was admitted based on his outstanding and competitive record, with no regard whatsoever for his race, he’s still perceived as an “affirmative action” student. It doesn’t matter how wrong or unfair the perception is. That’s the consequence of racial bean-counting polices. Get rid of them and practice race-neutral admissions, and the odor will dissipate.