Proposed Affirmative Action Ban Prompts WMU Resolution
wwmt.com
http://wwmt.com/engine.pl?station=wwmt&id=25929&template=breakout_local.html
By Alicia Smith, News 3 Anchor/Reporter
April 29, 2006 - 9:43AM
KALAMAZOO (NEWS 3) - The November 7th ballot initiative before Michigan voters is stirring up concern at Western Michigan University.
Immediately after WMU's Board of Trustees approved a Diversity and Multiculturalism Action Plan on Friday, the board passed a resolution about an "external force" related to the issue.
Trustee Bill Martin put the resolution on the table. In it, the trustees agreed that the ballot initiative's wording is "vague" and strongly encouraged voters to read the proposed amendment very carefully.
Board of Trustees Chairperson Jim Holden told News 3 after the meeting that if the ballot initiative is approved, it would impact admissions.
"If you want to talk about diversity and you want to support it and you want to really make it part of the operating plan of the university, don't take away the mechanisms that allow us to do a lot of that," said Holden referring to affirmative action efforts related to student recruitment.
The proposed state constitutional amendment would ban affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment to individuals or groups based their gender, color, race, ethnicity, or national origin.
That would apply to government hiring, contracting, and university admissions.
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