"I find the notion of having special efforts to enroll and retain certain students here at this university insulting to somebody like myself," complained Michael Pucci, CSU, Chico College Republicans chair. "Nobody gave me any special effort." Chuck Worth, Institutional Research, pointed out that if Chico State did not admit any under-prepared students, there would only be about 7000 students on campus. Peter Gross, Journalism, responded, "I applaud that. Indeed, that's the way we should go. We are after all, talking about higher education."
In The Ethics of Affirmative Action, sponsored by the Center for Applied and Professional Ethics (CAPE) and moderated by Eric Gampel, CAPE director, the lines were drawn: narrow vs. wide definitions of education; the moral imperative of helping others vs. the belief in self-sufficient individualism; the belief of an uneven playing field vs. the belief in allowing only high scoring, fully prepared students to attend.
Charles Geshekter, History, stated, "No study has ever established a link between measurable academic performance and the multicultural diversity of students and teachers." Janet Saunders, Employment Practice and Affirmative Action, countered "Diversity enriches the educational experience and provides students with the important skill of being able to work with people different from themselves."
Charles Carter, Student Activities, concurred, and then asked, "If we don't know how to work together in diverse worlds, how will we survive as a nation?" Armando Sanchez, AS. president, argued, "Ethnic diversity is necessary and it's inevitable. It's a reality, especially in California, where whites will soon be the numeric minority."
Worth presented data on the positive effects of ethnic diversity on student self-reports of cognitive and affective development, increased cultural awareness, and educational satisfaction.
Sanchez emphasized the moral imperative behind special recruitment and retention services. "It should be your duty to not just look forward to see what's ahead for you, but to look back and see who isn't here, who needs to have the doors open for them, who needs some help in getting to this institution." Geshekter was more concerned with the two-to- three year gap in skills between African American and white eighteen year olds, arguing that if ethnic diversity is seen as more important than skills development, "not only does it contribute to a higher drop-out rate, but it may well contribute to perpetuating racist stereotypes."
Worth summarized three studies done of Chico State students "that point to the fact that there is a different environment for minority students at this institution." Minority students experience racism, social isolation, cultural adjustment, and academic problems. "It should not be up to minority members to have to prove why they are not making it. It should be up to higher education," said Worth, "because we are running the institutions that are creating this."
In the twenty-three years Carter has been on campus, he has seen little demographic change. He characterized the "spirit of affirmative action" in the hiring process as "let's go out and make sure we have one of them and one of those and one of these folks in this pool and then we'll go hire the white person anyway." He believes there is hope for change "as long as we can continue to keep the dialogue open." However, "affirmative action as it applies on this campus? Hey, get a grip!"
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