This week the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights plans to release a report that strongly criticizes an alternative to affirmative action used by colleges in California, Texas and Florida.
These colleges have stopped using race as a factor in admissions and instead have passed legislation guaranteeing that the top 10 or 20 percent of graduating students from each of the state's high schools will have a place in that state's public university system.
Commission members voted six to two to condemn the use of the system, endorsing racial preferences as the best way to ensure diversity on college campuses.
Commission members encouraged President Clinton to support strongly the defense of affirmative action in college admissions processes.
This issue has implications in the upcoming presidential race, where the likely Democratic and Republican contenders have opposing views on the issue.
Democratic candidate Vice President Al Gore has voiced his support for affirmative action, while Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush favors the percentage plan, a policy he has signed into law in Texas and which his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is supporting in his state as well.
Some University officials said they agreed with the gist of the report.
Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn pointed out that President John T. Casteen III, the Board of Visitors and Student Council all have endorsed the University's policy of taking race into account when deciding whether to admit a student.
"We think what we're doing is the best way to do it," Blackburn said. "It works."
Equal Opportunity Programs Director Karen E. Holt said she also agreed with the report and defended the University's affirmative action policies.
African-American Affairs Dean M. Rick Turner held similar views on the issue, offering two objections to the policy. His first objection was that taking a top percentage of students from each high school "does not necessarily mean you'll get higher caliber students."
His second objection to the percentage plan was that the plan prevents some top minority students from having access to the most selective public institutions such as the University of California-Berkeley, the UC system's flagship and most prestigious university.
But Jay Cost, editor-in-chief of The Virginia Advocate, said he felt the percentage plan offers a good alternative to the use of race in admissions.
"That's a better and less divisive way of enhancing opportunities for minorities," Cost said.
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