Prop. 209 and UC Diversity

* In the aftermath of the passage of Proposition 209 by California voters, the University of California remains firmly committed to diversity. We are working harder than ever to ensure that our doors remain open to students, faculty and staff from throughout California’s increasingly diverse society.

It would be a tragedy if the public concludes that UC is now closed to students of color. The fact remains that the university will continue to accept every qualified student who seeks admission. Students who were qualified before the passage of Proposition 209 remain qualified in the wake of its approval. No student should be dissuaded from filing a UC application based on Proposition 209’s passage. As always, all applicants will be assessed based on their academic achievements and potential. But in order to be admitted, students must first apply.

The fact also remains that Proposition 209 is the law and UC must comply with it, pending court review. The new law requires the university to remove race and gender from its admission criteria months earlier than we had planned under the regents’ 1995 order. As a result, not all of UC’s new guidelines on undergraduate admissions can be implemented this year. However, campus admission officers will make their decisions this year utilizing the broadest array of information they have about a student’s qualifications--always with the objective of building a high-achieving and diverse student body.

UC has been in the forefront of the nation’s efforts to extend to all students the opportunities afforded through higher education. We will continue that effort as we establish new paths to diversity consistent with the law.

RICHARD C. ATKINSON

President, UC

Oakland