Head of Civil-Rights Panel Denounces Unauthorized Affirmative-Action Survey (2/26/04)
Head of Civil-Rights Panel Denounces Unauthorized Affirmative-Action Survey
(2/26/04)
Forty selective colleges were sent a survey that asked for in-depth information about their affirmative-action policies. The survey was distributed on U.S. Commission on Civil Rights letterhead. However, the commission did not authorize the survey, and institutions that received the survey are under no legal obligation to respond. A special assistant to Peter N. Kirsanow, a conservative Republican who frequently criticizes race-conscious college admissions, distributed the survey. The story was reported on February 13 on The Chronicle of Higher Educations online "Daily News." Civil rights activists believe that this activity that is being promulgated by opponents of affirmative action to threaten and pressure institutions of higher education to reconsider the use of race-based affirmative action programs, and urge groups committed to diversity weigh in and publicly state their concern about these activities.
*Reprinted from The Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC's) Division of Community and Minority Programs Health Professionals for Diversity (HPD) Coalition Email Update.