IF YOU didn’t go to see Voices of the Class, you should have. One thing that piqued my interest, and my concern, was the number of times diversity was mentioned in the sketches. One sketch involved a college applicant speed dating the Dewey Decimal System to find the perfect book for his essay, and each book told him to be sure to mention how diverse he was, as if the book itself were less important than its ability to showcase his diversity. Two days later, I grabbed The Cavalier Daily on my way to class and discovered, front and center, that the University Judiciary Committee is concerned it has too many white people.
UJC used a self-reporting survey to gather demographic data and around 25 percent of the committee did not participate in the survey. From the data received, 71 percent reported themselves as white, while 62 percent of the University community is white. This is alarming, mostly because UJC found it notable. In no way can any organization on Grounds be expected to be perfectly representative and UJC’s demographics are actually close to the makeup of the student body. Also, 5 percent of surveyed members reported themselves as black while 9.4 percent of students are black. Asian-Americans are seemingly overrepresented — 12 percent of those who participated in the survey were Asian-American, but only 9 percent of the student body is.
That these miniscule differences in percentage points is cause for concern to UJC perfectly illustrates what Voices of the Class made entertaining: the overemphasis on diversity at the University. I understand that the Office of Admission uses affirmative action programs to increase minority enrollment and the more minorities that attend the University, the better we look in the eyes of the world. But such unwarranted alarm from such an important University body is a slippery slope to be headed down.
According to UJC Chair Merriam Mikhail, the spring executive committee e-mailed minority organizations about having UJC representatives speak at their meetings to encourage more minorities to apply to UJC. The Minority Rights Coalition and Black Student Alliance also participated in setting up a study session with UJC that addressed the best ways to study for the test and prepare for the interviews. This study session was open to all students but was specifically marketed to minorities. Mikhail talked about providing knowledge and increasing awareness about UJC as the “best place for us to start” improving minority participation. These actions in themselves are not cause for alarm. But since all applicants have to take a test and go through two rounds of interviews in order to join the committee, it seems unnecessary that once on the committee, race should still be deemed important.
I understand that minority students are needed on the committee in order for students brought before it to feel that they are represented by it. However, there are minority students on the committee, and it would be impossible to achieve completely proportional representation. The numbers from UJC’s survey actually inspire some confidence in me that the committee is not entirely white and minorities are participating. If UJC wants to increase its outreach to minority students, that is understandable. It is a little disconcerting that despite four percent of University students being Hispanic, there are no Hispanics at all on the committee. However, setting any kind of goal for decreasing the number of white people on the committee — which is what increasing minority participation will do — would be racist.
Mikhail assured me UJC is “absolutely not” considering quotas or any kind of affirmative action in the application process. Then why is it important how many minority students made it through that process? The number of minority applications would be a better measure of the effectiveness of outreach programs. I’ve filled out many applications with a box asking ‘how did you hear about us?’ Something of that nature would more adequately assess minority interest. UJC members must already go through a rigorous application process to be on the committee, and once on the committee the focus should be on their contributions to the committee and not on their race. UJC must continue to have a color-blind application process, in the search of the ideal candidates and not the ideal skin color for their demographic surveys.
Annette Robertson is a Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer.
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