Nineteen Democratic state legislators released a letter Monday sent to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, urging him to uphold the University of Wisconsin's revised admissions policy.
The Democrats' letter was in reaction to another letter from state Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, and state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, who requested a formal opinion from Van Hollen, a Republican, over the legality of using race as a factor in admissions decisions.
Nass and Grothman, who sent their letter last month, drew attention to two state statutes, including statute 36.11 (3)(a), which says, "No sectarian or partisan tests or any tests based upon race … shall ever be allowed in the admission of students."
Additionally, statute 36.12 (1), states, "No student may be denied admission to … any service, program, course or facility of the (UW) system or its institutions because of the student's race."
The Democratic legislators are urging Van Hollen to uphold the admissions policy because they say it conforms to both the U.S. Constitution and the Wisconsin state statutes in question.
"Race is only one among many other factors considered in the admissions process … [and] academics have been, and always will be, the No. 1 factor in that process," the Democrats' letter said.
Implementing the admissions policy systemwide, the letter added, recognizes the need for a racially and ethnically diverse student body within American society and prepares students to compete within the global economy.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who signed the letter, said it was written as a reaction to Nass' opposition and to voice the opinion that the admissions policy is reasonable.
"Since several legislators requested the attorney general's opinion," Black said, "I think it is important for the attorney general to know that most of the legislators have a different point of view."
Some legislators, Black added, try to "throw rocks" at the university any chance they get.
David Mulroy, president of the Wisconsin Association of Scholars and professor of languages and linguistics at UW-Milwaukee, said his organization is opposed to race in admissions and hiring practices.
WAS also released a letter Monday stating their disapproval with the Board of Regents' admissions policy.
"For education to be the most effective, admissions should be decided principally on academic ability," Mulroy said. "Giving special consideration or extra credit because of race and ethnicity, we feel, is counterproductive."
Stuart Brandes, treasurer of WAS and professor emeritus of history at UW Colleges, said WAS believes in equal opportunity in admissions and in the university.
"The idea of offering preference on the basis of race and national origin does contradict state law," Brandes said.
Mulroy said after the Board of Regents' decision, WAS asked the board to release data showing the effects of the new admissions policy.
"We do not know what ACT or SAT scores you need if you are a minority or if you are white," Mulroy said. "Without that information, it is hard to pass judgment on whether the old admissions policy worked."
Despite the disagreement over the admissions policy, Mulroy said people on both sides of the spectrum have the same goal to improve higher education.
"We feel everyone on both sides of this issue is aiming at the same goals," Mulroy said. "The disagreement is not with the goals but the actual effects."
