La fin de l’affirmative action a l’université de Davis, en Californie : enjeux et débats

Abstract

On July 21, 1997, the Regents of the University of California endorsed a resolution, SP-1, a new policy ensuring equal treatment in admissions. It stated that « the University of California shall not use race, religion, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin as criteria for admission to the University or to any program of study ». This essay is an attempt to assess the impact of this resolution on the enrollment of underrepresented ethnic and racial minorities at the University of California, with particular emphasis on the Davis Campus. It will show that new policies intended for the promotion of economically disadvantaged individuals did not, at least in the short term, make up for Affirmative Action programs. Underrepresented ethnic and racial minorities' enrollment has been declining since 1997 and the number of minority students in the overall student body is decreasing, especially for Chicanos and Latinos. Such a decline may have serious consequences on the ethnic and racial make-up of future generations of professionals and ultimately on the social fabric of the United States.