Wisconsin universities to consider race, income in admissions

(AP) - The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved a new policy Friday that requires admissions officials to consider race and income when deciding which students to admit.

The regents voted unanimously during a meeting in Madison to adopt the policy. It's prompted a backlash from some conservatives and is expected to be challenged in court.

The goal is to increase diversity among the system's 160,000 students, who are overwhelmingly white and increasingly well-off financially.

"Every applicant deserves our consideration as a whole person," said UW System President Kevin Reilly. The policy is designed to bring campuses into compliance with a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that says race can be considered in admissions, as one of many factors.

Opponents say the university should not base admissions decisions on race. But the university says the policy is not "race based."

Race or ethnicity will never be the sole nor most important criteria for admissions, said UW vice president Rebecca Martin. Rather, she says, the policy is "race-conscious," in which racial or ethnic factors are considered among many academic and nonacademic factors. This has been a part of the UW's policy since 1972.

"This reflects a fundamental truth: Diversity in our student body is a compelling interest of our university," Martin said. "The benefits of learning in a diverse environment accrue to all students."

The policy says the system's 13 four-year universities will first consider academic factors, such as the quality of high school courses, grades and test scores.

But other factors will also come into play -- including life experience, special talents, family income and racial background.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)