“It is a crisis on our campus right now,” Powers said.
The move to modify the top 10 percent law has failed in past sessions and it was met with some skepticism Wednesday. Along with West, some minority groups, including the NAACP and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, warned that ending the policy would lower the numbers of minorities going to college.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said he was concerned that the effort to boost diversity could come at the expense of qualified White students.
“I also want to be sure that those students who are not minority students who may not be in the top 10 are not pushed aside because they’re not a minority,” he said.
The legislation still has a long way to go before becoming law. It now heads to the full Senate, but its fate there and in the state House are far from certain.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
