Minority Enrollment at Michigan Holds Steady Following Affirmative Action Ban

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

by Kenneth J. Cooper
Nov 2, 2007, 07:54

The number of minority freshmen at the University of Michigan this fall remains about the same as in 2006, a notable departure from the steep drops that other flagship public universities have experienced immediately after affirmative action was banned in Michigan a year ago.

For every minority group except Asians, the percentage of freshmen declined slightly because Ann Arbor campus enrolled a bigger class than it did last year. The 11 percent increase, including international students, may have made it possible for the university to admit more students of color than it would have been able to otherwise.

“We have worked hard to inform prospective students about U-M’s ongoing commitment to diversity and will continue to reach out to as many students as possible to ensure the most highly qualified and diverse applicant pool,” said Senior Vice Provost Lester Monts.

University of Michigan Freshman Enrollment, Before and After Affirmative Action Ban

Black
Hispanic
American Indian
Asian
Fall 2007 enrollment
334
267
50
757
Fall 2006 enrollment
330
274
52
622

In 2003, the Supreme Court struck down Michigan’s undergraduate admissions because the formula used at the time awarded extra points to minorities, but the justices upheld a different procedure at its law school. Last November, the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment that prohibits public colleges from considering race or ethnicity, but a legal challenge allowed the practice to continue through the end of last December.“I think a lot of this is pretty inconclusive at Michigan. We’re probably going to need another admissions cycle without preferential treatment to find out what’s really going on,” said Ward Connerly, president of the American Civil Rights Institute, who led the campaign for the constitutional amendment. “If they kick in their outreach efforts soon enough, there won't be a significant effect at all, which is what anyone would want,” Connerly added.Theodore M. Shaw, director-counsel and president of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, said: “I’m pleased to see they’ve found ways to continue the enrollment of people from underrepresented groups without the explicit consideration of race. It’s good news.”A racial-ethnic breakdown of its freshman class that the University of Michigan released Thursday shows, compared to last year, Blacks slipped from 6.3 percent to 5.8 percent, despite an increase of four to 334; Hispanics declined from 5.3 percent to 4.7 percent, with their numbers falling by seven to 267; and American Indians dipped from 1 percent to 9 percent after 50, two fewer than last year, enrolled.The total number of underrepresented minorities — Blacks, Hispanics and American Indians — remained about the same at 651, five fewer than last year. With the larger class, the new total represents a decrease from 12.7 percent to 11.3 percent.The percentage of Asians increased to 13.2 percent, up from 12 percent, as their numbers rose by 135 to 757. The number of non-Hispanic Whites jumped by 333 to 3,741, though their percentage in the class slipped from 66 percent to 65.2 percent. Freshmen who did not declare a race or ethnicity, or identified themselves as other, increased to 10.3 percent from 9.2 percent.
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