Keeping an eye on the academic rot
Walter Williams has a column up on systemic racial discrimination by American universities against Asian students. The purpose of the column is mostly to bring attention to an article by Ward Connerly on the website, Minding the Campus, run by the Manhattan Institute. Connerly brings attention to the egregious case of the University of California.
About five years ago, shortly before my term ended as a Regent of the University of California (UC), I was having a casual conversation with a very high-ranking UC administrator about a proposal that he was developing to increase “diversity” at UC in a manner that would comply with the dictates of California’s Constitution and the prohibition against race, gender and ethnic preferences.
As I listened to his proposal, I asked him why he considered it important to tinker with admissions instead of just letting the chips fall where they may. In an unguarded moment, he told me that unless the university took steps to “guide” admissions decisions, UC would be dominated by Asians. When I asked, “What would be wrong with that?” I got an answer that speaks volumes about the underlying philosophy at many universities with regard to Asian enrollment.
The UC administrator told me that Asians are “too dull – they study, study, study.” He then said, “If you ever say I said this, I will have to deny it.”
Kind of makes you feel better about the proposed pay cuts at the University of California.