Regents need to study race-based admissions
Should UW-Madison be permitted to continue using race/ethnicity in evaluating applicants for admission? That question confronts the UW System Board of Regents at this week's meeting.
The campus position is laid out in a Regent-requested report prepared by Admissions Director Rob Seltzer. There, Seltzer defends using race/ethnicity in making admissions decisions. Why? He claims that greater race/ethnic diversity provides educational benefits for all students, makes UW graduates more employable, and is OK because race/ethnicity is only one among many factors determining who is or is not admitted.
Seltzer's conventional defense of race/ethnic preferences is riddled with weaknesses. The amorphous benefits of diversity on this campus have not been documented. Employers continue to hire UW-Madison graduates despite our 'too low' minority enrollment figures.
More importantly, minority preferences are not OK. Applying them brings to campus students whose prospects of succeeding are far below those of the average student. Minority preferences are not fair because they treat people based on their skin color or ethnic background rather than as individuals. Finally, race/ethnic preferences in UW admission are explicitly prohibited by state law (Wis. Stats. 36.12).
The Board of Regents needs to learn more about how the admissions process works if it is to make an informed decision about continuing or abandoning race/ethnic preferences in admission. The Seltzer report is a start but only that.
Let us hope Board members have the courage and persistence to find out what has been so long hidden from public scrutiny.
W. Lee Hansen
Professor Emeritus
UW-Madison
Students need a better health care system
As school and the football season start up again, decent health care is probably the furthest thing from most students' minds. Most of us probably assume that the system will be there for us when we need it. That is probably true for many of us, but for a significant minority, the so-called health care system will not always be something they can count on.
Even for young and healthy students, this has become an issue that we have to worry about more and more. While many of us are covered by our parents' plans, they often end as soon as we graduate. That means that if we don't have a job right away that offers health insurance, or if we get a limited-term employment job, we are on our own. And forget about buying your own plan if you have any pre-existing conditions like depression or asthma. What happens when you can't pay for a significant illness due to lack of insurance? If you're lucky enough to find a provider who will treat you without money up front, you could find yourself thousands of dollars in debt.
Even the Student Health Insurance Plan has become incredibly weak this year, covering only $50,000 per illness or injury. (Most plans cover a maximum of $1 million.) This is despite the fact that they are charging significantly higher premiums this year compared to last year.
Our health care crisis even affects students, but there is something you can do. On Thursday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m., a Candlelight Vigil for the Uninsured will be held at the State Capitol. The event is an attempt to show the legislature that we support health care for all Wisconsinites. The more people attend, the stronger the message will be.
David Herszenson
Medical Student
