Opinion: Guest column
Diversity plans lack coherence, shaft university
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Also by Ammar Al Marzouqi:
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With the end of Plan 2008, which aimed to improve the diversity of our student body, we are once again facing some serious questions that demand thoughtful answers. And with a new initiative on the horizon, those answers gain an extra degree of importance, since they might very well have an effect on the futures of many prospective University of Wisconsin students.
There seems to be a consensus on the notion that Plan 2008 did not properly meet its goals. Minority student enrollment has risen by 64 percent, with only 12 percent of the current student population composed of minorities. This increase is hardly a departure from the natural increase of the enrollment of minority students. Yet are we really that superficial? One wonders what benefits this campus gains from diversity, if the only gauge of the success of initiatives such as Plan 2008 is the percentage of enrolled minority students.
Let’s not forget that we’re in Wisconsin — a state that is 90 percent white. And if anything, the composition of our current student population closely resembles that of the state population. So instead of trying to create an artificial sense of diversity, we must strive to achieve the equality of opportunity for all students regardless of race. When we look at it objectively, it is almost undeniable that there are disparities in educational opportunities between white and minority students. However, what is debatable is whether universities should take it upon themselves to correct these disparities, and what are the best methods of doing so.
Initiatives like Plan 2008 mainly use the racial composition of the student body as criteria when gauging diversity, which leads to many unintended injustices. First of all, it ignores underprivileged students who are white, since they are lumped into the majority. It also unfairly favors privileged minority students. It also could lead to the deterioration of the quality of the students at a university, since admission officers are pressured to admit minority students who would not qualify otherwise.
Also, even though race is one of the biggest common denominators when looking at the underprivileged segments of American society, it isn’t the only one. Financial status and gender are also factors that affect the opportunities one is provided with in this society. So using race as the sole gauge of privilege is not only illogical, but it is unfair to those who face a lack of opportunity due to other factors.
Furthermore, some go as far as to demand racial quotas for admission, which is not only blatant discrimination but also completely unpractical. The admission process as it stands today favors minority students because of affirmative action, and the implementation of quotas would create a myriad of new problems for admission officers. What if more deserving minority students apply than those allotted in the quotas? Should they be turned away? And what if there are not enough minority applicants to fill the quotas? Are we to borrow students from black colleges to make up for the difference? The suggestion that our university must have a certain percentage of students from any race is absurd.
What is needed in order to achieve true equality and diversity is the assurance of equal opportunity. This means the applicants who are most qualified are those who get accepted. This may seem to nullify to role of initiatives that aim to eradicate the disparities in educational opportunities, but this is not the case.
Instead of choosing the easy way and admitting more minority students, which only creates an illusion of equality, our university should become proactive in providing pre-enrollment opportunities to all students who need them. This way, students who were underprivileged but who are willing to work hard can reach the level of academic achievement required for enrollment. Finally, this will not only eliminate any discriminatory policies from diversity initiatives, but also provide an equal opportunity for all underprivileged students regardless of race.
Ammar Al Marzouqi (aalmarzouqi@wisc.edu) is a sophomore majoring in computer engineering.
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This is one of the best articles written on the subject of diversity and admissions that I have read since coming here. Very well done!
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Good article and good point! Diversity is nice, but it’s impossible to bend over backwards when Wisconsin has such a small minority population to begin with. We’ve been trying for years to increase minority enrollment all around. If we haven’t accomplished that yet, forget it! If minorities want to go to school here, they’ll fill out an admission application. If not, that’s the way it goes.
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“First of all, it ignores underprivileged students who are white, since they are lumped into the majority. It also unfairly favors privileged minority students.”
GREAT point. I personally think diversity should be more concerned with socioeconomic factors than race factors.
As a white male from Los Angeles I stand to learn more from the experiences and views of a caucasian from a poor rural town in Wisconsion than I do from a wealthy African American student from Chicago.
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Completely agree! It always irks me when people think the two choices are affirmative action or do nothing. Pre-enrollment opportunities are definitely the best way.
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I have a dream, that one day my children will be admitted to college not based on the color of their skin but on the merit of their scholastic efforts! I have a dream…..
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First completely right column I have seen published on these matters. UW is way too focused on superficial diversity. Being a minority does not make you underprivileged and does not merit a scholarship. This money needs to go to anyone who attended a lousy public school district, whose parents earned income under the poverty line, and may be a first generation college student as well. If you can work hard and get into UW-Madison and you are from this kind of background, you absolutely deserve a scholarship. And yet, I see many people who do fit this description getting nothing and wealthy suburbanites raking in the scholarships, big time. How is this helping to break the cycle of poverty?
Hence why PEOPLE program is good. You have to actually need the scholarship to get it.
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Nice article, finally seeing some logical arguments about why diversity initiatives are wrong.
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“As a white male from Los Angeles I stand to learn more from the experiences and views of a caucasian from a poor rural town in Wisconsion than I do from a wealthy African American student from Chicago.”
You should know how to spell before you post! ‘It’s Wisconsin not Wisconsion, Caucasian not caucasian!
You can learn from all kinds of people regardless of wealth and status!
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The “most qualified” candidates just tend to be the richest kids. The biggest correlating factor to SAT scores is parental income. I’m not sure about other people but I don’t think its fair for the amoount of money my parents make to determine my chances of being successfull. Pre-enrollment opportunities sound nice, but that’s too vague. Give a good example next time
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Easily the best opinion piece I have read on the issue. Very well done Ammar.
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“The biggest correlating factor to SAT scores is parental income. I’m not sure about other people but I don’t think its fair for the amoount of money my parents make to determine my chances of being successfull.”
Maybe the rich just tend to put a higher emphasis on education, scholarship and getting into a good university?
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“Maybe the rich just tend to put a higher emphasis on education, scholarship and getting into a good university?”
And what poor people don’t?!
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“And what poor people don’t?!”
I guess you’ve never met anyone who has tried to teach in the schools in the urban core?
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Ammar Al Marzouqi you sir are obviously one of those “privileged minorities”. Idiot!
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“I guess you’ve never met anyone who has tried to teach in the schools in the urban core?”
I guess you haven’t either!
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“Ammar Al Marzouqi you sir are obviously one of those “privileged minorities”. Idiot!”
Not knowing Ammar personally or from what region of the world his ancestors hail from, I would actually guess that by US Census and UW definition he is “white”. Arab/Middle Easterners are actually classified as white by the US Census. I’m not exactly sure about UW’s policy, but being that I don’t think he is black, Asian, Native American or Hispanic, I would guess the University also considers him to be white.