More than eight years after Proposition 209 banned the use of
race in admission decisions, Assembly Speaker Fabian
Núñez, D-Sacramento, has introduced a bill that
doesn’t fix, but at least acknowledges, the problems that
Proposition 209 has created.
The state Legislature and governor should pass the bill as the
first of many steps necessary to ensure California’s
universities are proactive about accessibility and diversity.
Speaker Núñez’s bill, AB 1452, would permit the
state’s universities to, “consider culture, race,
gender, ethnicity, national origin, geographic origin and household
income, along with other relevant factors, in undergraduate and
graduate admissions, so long as no preference is given.”
The bill’s wording strikes a balance between
constitutionality and rationality. AB 1452 forces the state
government to acknowledge that the college admissions process
shouldn’t be about ignoring these factors.
The University of California has acknowledged the bill
won’t change current selection policies, and its opponents
are quick to point out that Proposition 209 fully limits its
impact.
But, it is still a worthy bill ““ if for no other reason
than that it is the first expression of concern from the state
since it ruthlessly halted momentum on increasing the diversity of
university students in California.