Fortune 500 Firms Support U. of Mich. Affirmative Action Admissions
Policy Fortune 500 Firms Support U. of Mich. Affirmative Action Admissions
Policy
By T.J. DEGROAT ©2000 DiversityInc.com
Oct. 17, 2000
Twenty Fortune 500 companies, including big names such as Microsoft, Lucent, Texaco and Johnson & Johnson, filed court papers yesterday supporting the University of MichiganÕs legal battle to protect its affirmative action admissions policy. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is fighting two class-action suits filed in 1997 by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Individual Rights. The plaintiffs allege that the university discriminates against white students by making race a factor during the undergraduate and law school admissions process. The law school case will go to trial Jan. 16. Steelcase, Inc., one of the world's largest designers and manufacturers of office products, said the current application process is critical to building a diverse environment and ensuring studentsÕ success in corporate America. "Steelcase's success as a global company is dependent on our ability to hire people who have experience in and are knowledgeable about working in a diverse environment with diverse ideas and with people from all walks of life," said James Hackett, CEO of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Steelcase. "Without a strong commitment to diversity from the world's leading academic institutions it will become more and more difficult for multi-national corporations to compete at the global level." Other companies supporting the university include 3M, Abbott Laboratories, Bank One Corp., DuPont De Nemours & Co., Dow Chemical Co., Eastman Kodak Co., Eli Lilly and Co., General Mills Kellogg Co., KPMG International, Technologies Inc., PPG Industries Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., Sara Lee Corp. and TRW Inc. All the companies recruit at colleges and universities, some at the University of Michigan, and have a business presence in the state. YesterdayÕs court brief comes three months after General Motors Corporation - a Detroit based auto maker that said it regularly hires University of Michigan graduates Ð filed papers supporting the university. Vice Chairperson Harry J. Pearce urged other top companies "to step forward and articulate their position."
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