University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank said she would like to re-evaluate the UW System’s policy of not to requiring criminal history on applications — but some students have floated a petition to express their concern for the idea.
Her suggestion comes in light of UW student Daniel Dropik’s attempt to bring the “alt-right” movement to campus. Dropik has a criminal history of a federally conviction for racially motivated arson.
When Dropik announced his intentions of starting a Madison chapter of the American Freedom Party, student organizations denounced his movement as a hate group and as being potentially dangerous on campus.
The petition states Blank’s checkbox policy is discriminatory to people of color and is “directly opposed” to UW’s commitment to diversity.
Currently, the UW System does not consider a student’s criminal history as part of the admissions process. In an earlier statement, Blank said the system employs this policy to allow students “who have made mistakes and paid their debt to society” to get the opportunity to access higher education.
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But in a Jan. 27 letter to UW System President Ray Cross, Blank said while she does not believe a felony record should be a bar to admission, there are risks in remaining “ignorant” in an applicant’s criminal history.
“I believe it is appropriate now to engage in a broad discussion with stakeholders about how we balance campus safety, particularly in a time when we are working hard to ensure all students feel welcome and protected, with the rights of students who have committed violent crimes,” Blank said in the letter.
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In an earlier statement from Associated Students of Madison, Chair Carmen Goséy, Rep. Brooke Evans and Rep. Katrina Morrison said the potential change in admissions policy is “ignorant” and does not address the racism already present on campus.
Morrison called the proposal “blatant discrimination” and said it would make it “impossible” for people of color with a criminal record to get in.
While SCP said they applauded Blank’s concern for the American Freedom Party’s activity on campus, they were also concerned that in light of the situation, the chancellor would “push an agenda” that seeks to discriminate against new applicants based on their criminal history.
“Such a policy will only be used to disproportionately discriminate against nonwhite students and will only add to racism and inequality on campus,” SCP said in the statement.
With 50 signatures needed to deliver the petition to Blank, it is almost halfway there.
