[media-credit name=’SUNDEEP MALLADI/Herald Photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to allow all state universities to consider non-academic factors — including race — in their admissions decisions.

The Board of Regents had come under fire from some state lawmakers and civil activists since May 2006, when the regents announced that they would consider revising the freshman admissions policy to include race-based criteria.

Despite the criticism, the regents approved a new "holistic" approach to freshman admissions where factors such as socioeconomic status, race and extracurricular activities play into the admissions decisions, in addition to student's academic records.

The board argued that the freshman admissions policy — which is already in place at UW-Madison — does not violate Wisconsin state law and because it "complies" with the Supreme Court ruling of 2003 that allows race to be used as an admissions factor.

The debate over this decision drew national attention when a Fox News crew arrived at the regents' meeting Friday.

UW System spokesperson David Giroux said a report on the regents' decision aired on the program "Special Report" Saturday night on Fox News. Giroux said he thinks it is interesting that the story has received national attention but added there is confusion on this topic.

"It was clear [Fox News was] only interested in the myth that race would triumph over academics," Giroux said.

Responding to a question by a Fox News reporter about whether unqualified students would now be admitted because of the new admissions policy, Giroux said "there are no unqualified students in the UW System, and there will never be unqualified students here."

State Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, said in an interview with The Badger Herald that it is "unfortunate" but "pretty typical" that all 18 members of the board would go along with the policy and hoped that at least one member would have raised some concern.

Nass added the governor appointed a "yes" board despite the policy that Nass believes will deny qualified applicants.

"There is no question that there are students at UW-Madison who will no longer be admitted despite having high GPAs and ACT scores because of the new admissions policy," Nass said.

Nass said this policy will remove qualified students from the state, citing an example of an applicant who was denied admission to UW-Madison. The student has a GPA of 3.5 and ACT score of 28, and now, according to Nass, is forced to attend Ohio State University because he does not fit "the mold of the [UW-Madison]."

Board of Regents President David Walsh said he understands this is a complicated issue, especially because people are hesitant to talk about the importance of a diverse campus. However, Walsh said there is a need to direct conversation toward the importance of diversity calling it an "educational benefit."

"Diversity isn't just race," Walsh said. "It's geography, it's the handicap, it's the veteran, it's the football player [who] all bring something else to campus."

Walsh also said he supports the policy because corporations want students who have experienced diversity so they are adequately prepared for the global workplace.

Regent Vice President Mark Bradley paid tribute to a former regent Ody Fish, who died last week but helped establish the first UW System admissions policy. Bradley said even in the late 1970s, Fish realized an admissions policy should be flexible to allow for diversity on all UW campuses and better prepare students for real-world encounters.

Education Committee Chair, Regent Danae Davis, said she appreciates being a member of this board because they have the courage to do the right thing.

"I couldn't be prouder of this board because in our quest to make clear what we are for, we resisted the temptation to make it easier for ourselves by taking race out the policy," Davis said.

With the board passing the new policy, Nass said he plans to ask state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for an opinion this week on whether the regents' policy conflicts with state law.