Almost a year after Michigan passed Proposal 2, known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, people still aren’t sure how MSU and other universities in the state will be affected. It’s very possible eliminating affirmative action will eventually reduce the number of minority students on campus if the university doesn’t work extra hard to recruit a diverse student body.
Proposal 2, which passed last fall and took effect Dec. 23, banned public institutions from discriminating against or giving preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on race, gender, ethnicity or national origin. Some people have worried it will threaten diversity on campus, others believe it will make on-campus diversity more inclusive for everyone and still others think it will not affect MSU at all.
In 1996, California passed Proposition 209, which was similar to Michigan’s Proposal 2 in that it banned the use of racial preference in public education and state government. After the ban went into effect, there was a decline in the number and percentage of minorities at the University of California, and the school has worked to strengthen outreach programs that don’t use race, such as programs that accept a certain percentage of students from every public high school in the state.
The number of black freshman students enrolled systemwide in the University of California declined by almost 20 percent from 1997 to 1998, the year Proposition 209 began impacting schools, but the numbers have been climbing steadily ever since. The number of black students is now higher at the school than it was when the ban went into effect.
Also, the number of minority students declined in flagship University of California campuses such as Berkeley and Los Angeles and increased at less competitive campuses.
Only time will tell whether Michigan’s Proposal 2 has the same effects as California’s proposition.
One discouraging side effect of Michigan’s new law is the loss of some scholarships based on race or gender criteria. About a half-dozen scholarships that included such considerations were discontinued at MSU, and a new scholarship is currently being considered for those funds. It’s discouraging to realize there are funds sitting around when students who could really benefit from them. MSU needs to develop new scholarships as soon as possible to dispense the money to where it’s needed most.
Since many programs aimed at recruiting and supporting minority students at MSU have been eliminated, the school must make sure campus is a welcoming place for everyone. The issue isn’t just getting diverse students into universities, it’s about helping them stay there. MSU must make sure East Lansing is a welcoming place for everyone, with appropriate community support systems.
Hopefully Proposal 2 doesn’t discourage anyone from working hard and applying for colleges. As the demand for higher education increases, colleges and universities nationwide are raising the bar for admission, which means everyone must put in extra time and effort to make the cut, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or national origin.
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