By Shauna Mecartea
Daily Bruin Reporter
Though it may not bring back affirmative action, an item to
repeal SP-1 and 2 is slated on the agenda for the upcoming UC Board
of Regents meeting
It’s been five years since the regents banned the
consideration of race, gender and ethnicity in UC admissions
““ a move many considered an affront to underrepresented
minority students applying to the university. Since then, through
protests and otherwise, thousands of students and community members
have asked the regents to repeal the policies.
“After five years it’s finally happening,”
said Gabriel Perez, a fifth-year political science and Chicana/o
studies student and member of the UCLA branch of the Affirmative
Action Coalition.
SP-1 and 2 passed in 1995, ending the use of affirmative action
throughout the UC system. A year later, the state voter initiative,
Proposition 209, ended affirmative action in California.
Protesters have pressured the regents to repeal SP-1 and 2 for
years. The largest protest, comprised of 3,000 people, was held in
Westwood in 1995, immediately following the enactment of the
measures. In March, 1,000 demonstrators marched across campus and
protested the ongoing regents meeting.
After years of activism, proponents are relieved to see the
long-awaited initiative on the May agenda as a culmination of their
efforts.
But opponents of affirmative action say race should neither harm
nor help individuals.
“We value diversity, but we encourage people to think of
diversity as more than just skin deep,” said Kevin Nguyen,
executive director of the American Civil Rights Coalition and
spokesman for Connerly, last month.
Regent Ward Connerly, who spearheaded the end of affirmative
action with SP-1 and 2 and Proposition 209, could not be reached
for comment.
Some regents see adding the measures to the agenda as a chance
to clear the UC reputation of being an unwelcoming institution to
minorities. The new resolution, which will be addressed at the
board meeting on May 16 as RE-28 is supported by a majority of the
regents and will create a welcoming atmosphere, said Regent William
Bagley.
“It will send the message that we are no longer a cause
of, or sponsors of, a political movement,” Bagley said.
Because of Proposition 209, a repeal of SP-1 and 2 would be
considered symbolic, though important because minorities will feel
welcome to the UC system, proponents say.
“The climate has been real chilly since 1995,” said
Regent Odessa Johnson. “The climate will improve if SP-1 is
repealed.”
While Johnson and other regents want the language of SP-1 and 2
to be “softened,” some student groups want SP-1 and 2
completely dismantled.
“Our ultimate goal is the full repeal of SP-1 and 2 and
everything contained in those policies,” Perez said.
Despite ongoing rallies by students, regents say the measures
will be repealed only to be replaced by another measure that
upholds Proposition 209. Because the language of the new proposal
has not yet been disclosed, Johnson does not know how how she will
vote.
Without affirmative action, the UC suffered a decline in the
number of underrepresented minorities ““ Latinos, African
Americans and American Indians ““ admitted. This was more
pronounced at flagship campuses such as UCLA and UC Berkeley, where
the percentage of underrepresented minority admits dropped from
22.97 percent in 1997 to 15.78 percent in 2000.
The first class to be admitted without the consideration of
race, gender and ethnicity was the freshmen of the fall 1998
class.
Since then, numbers have slowly increased as funding for
outreach programs has more than doubled at over $300 million.
Despite the efforts to increase minorities in the UC system
without affirmative action, some students feel the regents are not
focused on gaining minorities access to the UC system.
“We want to see a real commitment to increasing
diversity,” Perez said.
At the March 14 regents’ meeting, where thousands of
protesters urged to put SP-1 and 2 on the agenda for a vote but
were informed discussion would be deferred.
When Cruz Bustamante, regent by virtue of his office, addressed
the protesters at the last board meeting, he said there were not
enough regents present who supported the repeal.
According to regental policies, suddenly adding items is not
legal.
But Bagley said that the constant protesting caused many of the
regents to consider delaying the item even further to not look
pressured by the demonstrators.
“Issues of this magnitude are considered very carefully
before they reach the agenda,” said Trey Davis, UCOP
spokesman.
With reports from Timothy Kudo, Marcelle Richards, Andy Shah and
Marion Wise, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.