Burnt Orange Not Black Enough

A University of Texas graduate filed a complaint Friday with the U.S. Department of Education about UT’s use of race in its admission decisions, reports in tuesday’s Austin-American Statesman.

Currently, UT offers admission to all state residents who graduate in the top 10% of their high school classes, as required by state law. Of 13,795 UT freshmen admitted for the upcoming school year, 63% were admitted under the top 10% provision.

The complainant is Anthony Williams, president of the Black Student Alliance at the University of Texas. He told the Austin-American Statesman that he didn’t think the top 10% plan did enough to "overcome the hurdle of achieving diversity among the student body." He also states that "the top 10% does not offer a guarantee that the target student body will be achieved; it only allows a chance for the goal to be approached."

In my opinion, the top 10% doesn't really have anything to do with your race. It's either you have your gpa up in high school or not. According to the report, African-American undergraduate enrollment at UT has increased from 3.5% of the student body in the fall of 1998 when the 10% rule first went into effect to 4.2% in fall of 2006. Hispanic undergraduate enrollment went from 13.9% to 17.1% during that period as well. Asian enrollment increased from 13.7% to 17%. Overall, I feel that the top 10% plan is doing a better job in attracting minorities to UT than race-based affirmative action.

In the article, it states that the U.S. Department of Education has 6 months to investigate the claim. DOE spokesman Jim Bradshaw told the newspaper that if the determination is made that a violation has occurred, it will work with the institution to help it comply with the law.

Education is for everyone

I found this article to be quiete interesting. However, regardless of color, gender or ethnicity, the means for diversified enrollment lies in the awareness and attitudes of the parents/significant adults in the students’ lives. Also poor to middle income students and adult caregivers of any race, receive the message throughout the K-12 years, “Higher education is economically possible, an achievable option for students of any economic means. This help is available to complete the paperwork/enrollment process,” the parents and students in these underrepresented groups will have hope. The adults and students will begin to view themselves as “college bound.” Providing information on saving for college and handing out occassional fliers will only bring out discouragement in parents who are barely getting by financially or can’t read the application in front of them. First, the mentality of hopelessness must be replaced with a vision of nondiscriminatory opportunity.


To read more about this article, check it out here: ">"Hispanic college enrollment up in Texas; participation rate lags."