UGA Admissions Challenge

A federal appeals court on August 27, 2001 struck down UGA's use of race as one of several factors in a small portion of its admissions decisions. The ruling prompted a wave of national news stories and editorials on admissions policies in higher education. In response to the court ruling, UGA President Michael F. Adams said, "Sometimes you are defined by the battles in which you engage rather than by those you win. We are clearly disappointed in the court's decision. We certainly respect the court, but may have a differing opinion about whether the university's admissions program is 'narrowly tailored.' I would hesitate to say anything further until we have had in-depth consultation with legal counsel, the chancellor and the governor's office."
	UGA President Michael F. Adams announces fall 2002 admissions criteria	Statement to University Council	Nov. 29, 2001
	President addresses minority enrollment at first University Council meeting In opening remarks at the first University Council meeting of the academic year Sept. 13, UGA President Michael F. Adams thanked the university for supporting efforts to increase minority enrollment and promised to “broaden and intensify” those efforts regardless of the outcome of legal challenges to the university’s admissions process. Adams said the past two years of court battles over admissions policies have overshadowed advances in recruiting, admitting and enrolling minority students, particularly African-American students.	Columns	Sept. 24, 2001
	UGA cannot use race in making admissions decisions, court rules The board of regents and University of Georgia have three weeks to decide whether to appeal an Aug. 27 federal court ruling striking down the university’s use of race as one of severa factors in a small portion of its admissions considerations. Before a decision is announced, President Michael F. Adams plans in-depth consultation with legal counsel and with the chancellor, the governor and other state leaders who have strongly supported the university’s defense of its admissions policy.	Columns	Sept. 4, 2001
	Minority enrollment: Preliminary estimates: UGA holds its own The University of Georgia apparently will not experience the sharp downturns in minority and African-American enrollment experienced at peer institutions in Texas, California and Florida in the wake of lawsuits, public debate and media scrutiny of affirmative action in admissions. Preliminary enrollment numbers for fall semester indicate that aggressive recruitment has paid off in considerably larger numbers of new students than might have been expected, given a strong decrease in African-American applicants for this term.	Columns	Aug. 27, 2001
	UGA attorneys argue appeal for affirmative action in admissions Attorneys representing the university argued May 22 before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta that UGA should continue its affirmative action program for undergraduate admissions “to make up for a history of discrimination.” A diverse student body improves the learning environment for everyone, according to Mark Cohen, who represents UGA and the regents.	Columns	June11, 2001
	Digest: Appeals court reinstates bias suit A federal appeals court has reinstated the discrimination lawsuit of a rejected white applicant who challenged UGA’s use of racial preferences in admissions. On April 19, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reinstated the claims raised by Craig Green, denied admission to UGA for the fall of 1997.	Columns	April 30, 2001
	Settlement of UGA Law School admission case will have no effect on admissions policy A lawsuit alleging reverse discrimination against two white applicants to the University of Georgia School of Law has been settled out of court. As a result, there will be no change in the law school’s admissions process and the university has not admitted to any allegations raised by the plaintiffs.	News Release	Feb. 6, 2001
	Judge upholds Michigan’s use of race In a case similar to one involving UGA, a federal judge on Dec.13 upheld the University of Michigan’s use of race in determining admissions. U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan ruled against Michigan’s 1995-1998 policy, targeted in a class-action lawsuit by two white students denied admission. But he affirmed standards in place since 1999, saying the university presented “solid evidence regarding the educational benefits that flow from a racially and ethnically diverse student body.”		January 8, 2001
	'A Certain Distance' From 1960s in Georgia By Kenneth J. Cooper Washington Post Staff Writer January 03, 2001 Michael Adams, president of the University of Georgia, faced a simple choice after a federal judge struck down the university's policy of affirmative action in admissions. Adams could fight or he could fold. He chose to fight -- all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if need be....	The Washington Post	January 3, 2001
	Lawsuit settlements reached, with appeal under way Lawyers representing the University System of Georgia have reached a settlement with attorney Lee Parks regarding several plaintiffs suing for admission to the University of Georgia. The settlement offers admission to eight plaintiffs, who claim they suffered reverse discrimination in the university’s admissions process. In addition to granting admission and monetary awards to cover the difference spent to attend schools other than UGA, the university said it is not awarding and will not award any scholarships to undergraduates in which race is a qualifying factor.	Columns	Sept. 11, 2000
	UGA will appeal ruling about race as factor in admissions The University of Georgia--supported by the governor, the state attorney general, the chancellor and the University System Board of Regents--will appeal a July ruling by a federal district court judge in Savannah that challenges the university’s right to use race as a factor in the admissions process. While the appeal is in progress, the university will suspend the use of race as one of several criteria used to make decisions about applicants with similar academic credentials in determining the final 10-15 percent of the incoming class.	Columns	Aug. 21, 2000
	Statement by President Michael F. Adams regarding University of Georgia admissions policy The University of Georgia’s increasing academic excellence is a great testament to this state’s dedication to making the very best in higher education available to its citizens. The extraordinary demand for admission to UGA makes it incumbent upon us to manage access in a fair and equitable manner. In light of our commitment to do everything possible legally, ethically and morally to achieve a student body that is diverse and well-rounded, the University developed in recent years an admissions policy carefully crafted to comply with what we believe to be the law of the land -- the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Bakke case. However, a decision from the U.S. District Court on July 24, 2000 declared that Bakke is not definitive in this matter and that our admissions policy is unconstitutional. The University of Georgia will appeal this decision to the Eleventh U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals....	News Release	Aug. 15, 2000
	Board of Regents promises 'vigorous' appeal of court's decision ATLANTA — The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia will pursue an "extremely vigorous" legal appeal regarding the right of the University of Georgia (UGA) to use race as an admissions criterion. The appeal arises from a United States District Court July 24 ruling in a lawsuit filed against UGA and the regents. University System officials announced today (Aug. 15) they will urge the Georgia Attorney General’s Office to file for an expedited appeal to the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.	University System of Georgia News Release	Aug. 15, 2000
	District judge finds UGA’s 1999 admissions policy unconstitutional U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield of Savannah ruled in late July that three white female applicants denied admission to the University of Georgia in 1999 should be offered admission for the fall 2000 semester. In making the ruling, Edenfield said that UGA’s admissions process that was in effect in 1999 “violated Title VI and Title IX by intentionally discriminating against them based on race and gender.”	Columns	Aug.14, 2000
	Faculty committee recommends changes to admissions criteria The Faculty Admissions Committee has recommended to President Michael F. Adams stiffer criteria for admission of transfer students--raising the required minimum grade point average from 2.3 to 2.8 for sophomores and to 2.5 for juniors and seniors. The changes would apply to applicants seeking to enroll for the summer and fall of 2000.		March 13, 2000
	Judge issues rulings in lawsuit	Columns	Feb. 21, 2000
	Staying the course becomes a rallying cry The University of Georgia and the University of Virginia shared a headline in the Oct. 8 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. The accompanying article noted that the "two elite public universities" were heading in different directions in their use of race as a factor in admissions decisions...	Georgia Magazine	December, 1999
	Judge grants class-action status to admissions lawsuit U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield granted class-action status this month to a lawsuit challenging UGA’s admissions policy.	Columns	Nov. 29, 1999
	Staying the course The University of Georgia will continue to apply a variety of factors, including race but excluding gender, in making admissions decisions for a portion of the freshman class of 2000. Some 80 to 90 percent of the class will be admitted solely on academic criteria--such as high school grade point average and scores on standardized tests (either the SAT or ACT). But additional criteria will continue to be used in making decisions for the remaining percentage of the class. A new factor will be that admission will be extended to one valedictorian and one salutatorian from each Georgia high school fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.	Columns	Oct. 4, 1999
	"Can race play a role in the admissions process?" Georgia is one of several states where white plaintiffs are in court charging reverse discrimination in the admissions policies of public universities. A recent ruling in a suit against UGA raises more questions than it answers.	Georgia Magazine	Sept. 1999
	University of Georgia announces admissions policy for Class of 2000 ATHENS, Ga. -- The University of Georgia will continue to apply a variety of factors, including race but excluding gender, in making admissions decisions for a portion of the freshman class of 2000. Some 80 to 90 percent of the class will be admitted solely on academic criteria -- such as high school grade point average and scores on standardized tests (either the SAT or ACT). But additional criteria will continue to be used in making decisions for the remaining percentage of the class. A new factor will be that admission will be extended to one valedictorian and one salutatorian from each Georgia high school fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.	News Release	Sept. 30, 1999
	Judge makes ruling on UGA lawsuit On Monday, July 24, U.S. District Judge Avant Edenfield of Savannah ruled that three white female applicants denied admission to the University of Georgia in 1999 should be offered admission for the Fall 2000 semester. In making the ruling, the court said that UGA's admissions process that was in effect in 1999 "violated Title VI and Title IX by intentionally discriminating against them based on race and gender."	Media Advisory	Sept. 30, 1999
	Admissions criteria under review; another lawsuit filed While UGA administrators and the faculty admissions committee of University Council review admissions criteria for the class of 2000, Atlanta attorney Lee Parks continues to challenge the use of race and gender as part of the formula.	Columns	Sept. 13, 1999
	Lawsuit contesting another admissions decision is filed Atlanta attorney Lee Parks filed another lawsuit Aug.10 in his ongoing quest to force the university to abandon admissions policies that use race and gender, among other factors, in selecting a portion of each incoming class. Parks’s latest suit was filed on behalf of a Jonesboro High School graduate who claimed she was denied admission to UGA because she was white and female. The university responded by offering her admission to the entering freshman class, a move made in consultation with the state attorney general and the chancellor of the University System Board of Regents.	Columns	Aug. 23, 1999
	Judge dismisses reverse-bias lawsuit A 1997 lawsuit filed by three white students who claimed they were victims of reverse discrimination in the university’s admissions policies has been marked “case closed.” But the issues raised by the suit are far from settled.	Columns	July 19, 1999
	Reverse-discrimination lawsuit ruling In a partial judgment in the reverse-discrimination case regarding UGA admission policies, U.S. District Judge B. Avant Edenfield ruled on Jan. 6 that the university’s admissions policies were unconstitutional between 1990 and 1995, when a separate standard was applied to black and white applicants.	Columns	Jan. 19, 1999
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	UGA admissions policies challenged A class-action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah on March 3 demanding an end to racial preferences in admissions and hiring at institutions of the University System of Georgia.	Columns	March 10, 1997
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	The Chronicle of Higher Education: Issues in Depth - AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Chronicle of Higher Education's comprehensive look at legal and policy debates on admissions issues across the country.
	The Athens Daily News / Banner-Herald 1999-2000 coverage of the admission lawsuit.
	For coverage in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, go to Access Atlanta and search "admission lawsuit."

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