Affirmative action failed on California’s ballot — but colleges commit to diversity goals

After California voters rejected a measure to repeal the state’s ban on affirmative action last week, higher education leaders reiterated a commitment to diversify their student population by providing outreach and support to Latino and under-represented students.

Proposition 16 on the November ballot sought to repeal the 1996 law that bars the state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any person or group based on race, gender, ethnicity or nationality in areas of college admissions and public employment.

Over the summer, the University of California Board of Regents endorsed the proposal to bring back affirmative action and called for universities and colleges to “represent the rich diversity” of the state, where Latinos make up 40% of the population.

“The University of California’s efforts to address racial inequities were greatly hindered by Proposition 209,” said UC Regents Chairman John A. Pérez in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the 1996 law banning affirmative action. “The failure of Proposition 16 means barriers will remain in place to the detriment of many students, families and California at large. We will not accept inequality on our campuses and will continue addressing the inescapable effects of racial and gender inequity.”

In a statement, the UC system said it will continue to find other approaches to improve the diversity of its student body through “outreach to underserved groups, schools and communities; support for college preparation; and efforts to close equity gaps.”

Here’s what California schools are doing to close opportunity gaps among Latino students and what higher education experts recommend.

Inequities Latino and Black students face

Hans Johnson, of the Public Policy Institute of California, said a large share of Latino and Black students in California come from low-income backgrounds. About 80% of high school students in California who from low-income households are either Latino, Black or from another under-represented group, he said.

In California, Latinos have the lowest educational success rates, according to a 2018 Campaign for College Opportunity report. About 18% of Latinos in the state have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, compared to 52% of white people in the state.

Nationwide, demographers say Latinos are graduating high school and enrolling in college at greater numbers, but they are less likely than other groups to obtain a 4-year college degree.

Laura E. Gómez, a professor at UCLA’s law school and author of the book “Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism,” said affirmative action practices is a tool that could have addressed the barriers Latino students face to be successful in higher education settings.

Gómez said the notion of “merit” is often dependent on inequality. For example, a student’s school district or parents’ level of education can be a likely indicator of a student’s future educational success.

What can be done?

University of California and California State University campuses are trying to connect with diverse applicants by visiting students as young as 13 or 14.

That’s critical, said Loren J. Blanchard, CSU executive vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, and Lande Ajose, the governor’s senior policy adviser for higher education, to help young people imagine themselves as potential college students.

“That’s the authentic kind of pipeline programming that works effectively, especially when we’re talking about those populations of students that are underserved,” Blanchard said at a panel on Friday.

California colleges have looked to expand the racial and gender diversity of the classes within the confines of Proposition 209 over the past 25 years, through race-neutral policies, according to Audrey Dow, senior vice president for The Campaign for College Opportunity, a nonprofit based in California.

But Dow believes those race-neutral policies haven’t been effective.

Johnson, of the public policy institute, recommends that colleges ensure that student services meet the needs of students of color and colleges develop “an aggressively inclusive admissions process” focused on admitting low-income students now that Proposition 16 did not pass.

Dow said many Latino families who immigrate to the U.S. understand the value of a college education.

“They know that through the education system, people can get ahead and have a better economic life,” she said. “There’s a real value for education for higher education in the Latino community and our Latino students know that today, a bachelor’s degree is really the minimal entry requirement

But when students don’t know they qualify for aid or financial assistance, they often opt not to go to college because it’s not affordable, according to Dow.

“For Latino students, the ability to access financial aid is huge,” Dow said. “The application to secure financial aid is still a bit daunting and there just isn’t enough support for many students to fill out that financial aid application.”

It’s why she encourages students and parents to utilize financial aid and apply for scholarships. For undocumented students, scholarships are available through nonprofit organizations like The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Dow also said the use of SAT or ACT standardized tests to measure a student’s performance can prevent Black, Latino and Native American students from getting into competitive colleges. Ending those requirements, Dow said, could diversify the campuses of public colleges.

This year, the California State University and UC systems put a pause on their standardized test requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dow hopes it becomes permanent.

Gómez said she would like to see the UC regents authorize a more aggressive approach to the interpretation of Proposition 209.

“Prop 209 says that we can’t use racial preferences in admissions, but it doesn’t say that we can’t take race into account when it comes to scholarships or recruiting once they’ve been admitted, she said. “But the UC legal interpretation has actually not been that broad ... Why can’t we push that further?”

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Affirmative action failed on California’s ballot — but colleges commit to diversity goals."