As part of an ongoing University-wide debate about the use of race in admissions, some students are starting to speak out against the policy of using race as a factor in admissions. Several students claim the current admissions policy - in which race is considered as one of many factors for admission - is a form of discrimination.
"When I was raised, I was taught that racism was wrong, so I just have moral problems with [race-based admissions], as it is a form of racism," said Ryan Blackledge, Virginia Advocate editor-in-chief and third-year College student.
But Faculty Senate Chairman David T. Gies said because the University considers factors like geographical location and legacy status, it also should consider race.
"I think it is appropriate to look at a mixture of factors, so for people to isolate this race factor is sad and unnecessary," Gies said.
Students should not be given special consideration because of race, Blackledge said.
"To say that because someone is a particular color they should get a check-plus somewhere [on an application] doesn't really make sense," he said.
The University created its admissions policy to ensure a diverse student body, but diverse skin color does not necessarily bring diversity of thought, College Republicans Chairman John Blair said.
"If you have two people growing up in the same neighborhood, they don't have vastly different backgrounds just because of their skin colors," Blair said.
He said the Office of Admissions instead should consider socioeconomic backgrounds in admissions.
"I think background and economic [status] have a lot more to do with differences than skin color," he added.
But College Republicans Executive Secretary Jeremy Scott said considering economic status also would be unfair.
"I don't think it's any more morally right to discriminate against people based on class than by their race," Scott said.
Gies said eliminating race as a factor in admissions would create a negative atmosphere for minority students.
"I understand there are other views; nevertheless, any change in our admissions policies would result in the appearance of the University as not being a welcome place for minority students and will result in a fewer number of minority students, to our great detriment," he said.
The debate over using race as a factor in admissions was sparked when Board of Visitors member Terence P. Ross said that the University sometimes lowers its academic standards to accept black students.
"Virginia law states that race can't be a deciding factor in admissions, yet the University has said it" will use race as a factor anyway, Scott said. "Something's just not right there."
Gies said he hopes the University will maintain its present admissions policy.
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