With the decision still pending on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, commentator Dawinder Sidhu weighs in on the argument of critical mass used by UT - Austin and believes that by focusing on increasing enrollment of minority groups, the university is in fact reinforcing racial stereotypes.
Sidhu, an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico College of Law, points to the precedent set forth by the Supreme Court in that it refutes the idea that racial minorities think alike which Sidhu then takes forward to infer that the enrollment of more minorities will not increase differing of opinions.
The commentary is brief, but is worth the read as it closes with the suggestion that universities will have to find an alternative means to create a more diverse student body. It is within reason to think that Sidhu is referring to using socio-economic standing as one reference point in offering undergraduate admissions.
You can find the article here: A Critical Look at the 'Critical Mass' Argument
To me the argument should be made that students of color have structural forces beyond their control that exclude them from gaining access to higher education. And because of this actions need to be taken to admit underrepresented populations. As long as the argument of diversity initiatives are geared toward the interest of majority groups (interest convergence) than of course there will always be an argument against race based admissions. Meaning, I should be able to attend college because I have shown interest and I want the opportunity to the resources that can enable upward socioeconomic mobility for me and my offspring; not that I should prove that me being in college would benefit someone else in a majority group.
ReplyDelete