Northeastern University filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court last week in support of the University of Michigan and its affirmative action policy. The University of Michigan’s case is due to appear before the nation’s highest court this spring.
The university found itself facing two separate lawsuits in 1997 for its affirmative action policy regarding undergraduate and law school applicants. In January, the Bush administration made public plans to intervene on behalf of the plaintiffs in those lawsuits. The Bush administration, vowing not to remain on the sidelines for this issue, has brought about a resurgence in this case’s national attention as the April 1 court date approaches.
Northeastern now joins several other universities across the nation as well as the Screen Actor’s Guild and Americans for a Fair Chance (AFC) in support of Michigan.
“Northeastern strives to ensure that the workforce of the future, across the full range of professions, is diverse and inclusive,” said NU President Richard M. Freeland. “Affirmative action policies that consider race among a number of criteria in the admissions process are essential to the achievement of this mission.”
As stated in the brief, President Freeland says a diversified workforce is essential in the world today and that co-op employers are looking for a diverse group of co-op students now more than ever. Freeland also insists that diversity among the student body is one of the reasons why Northeastern has the number one ranked practice-oriented education program in the country.
The brief states, “Northeastern hears loud and clear the call of employers in the public and private sectors for employees who are diverse in race and ethnicity, equipped to thrive in a diverse workforce and able to serve a diverse community of customers.”
Vice President and Dean of the Division of Cooperative Education Richard D. Porter echoed those sentiments.
“We have our own Diversity Office within the co-op department and we offer an expertise on diversity that employers can take full advantage of,” Porter said.
President Bush’s opposition to the University of Michigan’s policy is a double-edged sword, as it has garnered attention from both conservative voters who support Bush and minority voters whom Republicans are trying to win over. Opposition to affirmative action policies following so closely after the controversy stirred by Senator Trent Lott’s comments on segregation may alienate minority voters. The Bush administration denounced the comments made by the Republican senator from Mississippi which cost Lott his position as Senate majority leader.
Walter Dellinger, former head of the Office of Legal Counsel and later the Clinton Administration’s acting solicitor general, told the Associated Press that while there is a definite role for affirmative action in today’s society, there is also the potential for it to be used incorrectly.
“The general position taken [during the Clinton administration] was that while the use of race is sometimes permissible in educational settings, it must be narrowly tailored and shown to advance important educational goals,” he said.
Dean and Director of the Affirmative Action and Diversity office at Northeastern Donnie Perkins says that the belief that affirmative action only benefits certain groups is a myth.
“By and large, research shows that affirmative action benefits everyone, especially in the academic community,” Perkins said.
Perkins says that the amicus brief filed by Northeastern and several other universities is a “powerful statement.”
“This brief, and ones filed by other universities, are a positive statement of support for affirmative action and its importance to higher education and the values of society as a whole,” Perkins said. “Affirmative action is essential to the higher education community.”
Perkins also says that a major benefit of affirmative action is that people of different backgrounds, especially in co-op settings, can work together to build solutions to various problems and often bridge gaps between different groups.
Freeland says that the University of Michigan and NU itself use affirmative action in a proper and effective manner.
“Diversity is a work in progress at Northeastern,” Freeland said. “We must continue to celebrate it as a value and pursue it as a central element of our institutional character.”
