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--> --> SOU affirmative action plan likely unfazed by Supreme Court ruling By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings With the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of affirmative action in June, Southern Oregon University officials don't expect much to change on campus regardless of the court's decision. The university - with approximately 10 percent of the student population or 535 students registering as an ethnic minority - actively pursues the enrollment of all students including minorities through home visits, national and regional college fairs, high school visits and conferences. Although affirmative action's future hangs in the balance, SOU plans to continue recruiting any and every student interested in higher education. According to Carl Thomas, assistant director of admissions at SOU, the university will continue to seek the minority population. "SOU has been acting affirmatively. We still want to be an inclusive campus - a campus that welcomes all students," Thomas said. SOU draws in nearly 25 percent of Ashland's minority population, totaling approximately 2,300 according to 2000 U.S. Census Bureau conclusions. Mary Pat Parker, Ashland Chamber of Commerce's tourism and marketing manager, said that contributions to the city's diversity by SOU in addition to the Oregon Shakespearean Festival are appreciated. "I think everybody values cultural diversity," Parker said. Affirmative action can be traced back to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy's Executive Order 10925 mandated that the federal government ensure that all job applicants be treated fairly without regard to race, religion, color or gender. According to the Oregon Student Association, this mandate was expanded with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and several court decisions - including the 1973 decision in Adams v. Richardson which ruled in favor of recruiting students and faculty of color into institutions. Since the 1970s, only Washington and California have abolished affirmative action but the Supreme Court's decision may have all states following suit. Thomas said the university extends campus opportunities to all students and this will not change. "As far as a campus like SOU, I think we do an excellent job here of being an inclusive campus, and we'll always find ways to be available to all," he said. Thomas said SOU begins its extensive recruiting process in the fall with high school visits and college fairs throughout the state and nation. These fairs and visits are open to all students. However, he said that some additional attention is paid to minority groups due to their under-representation. "We'll try these approaches with the general population, but say, with Hispanic students, we try to see if we can do home visits or at least call them on the phone," he said. On campus, clubs such as the Black Student Union or the Native American Student Union attract minorities and raise awareness regarding issues facing minority groups. However, these clubs do not discriminate and are open to any interested student, according to campus officials. "Those clubs have been inclusive. Even though it's the Black Student Union, everyone can join the club," Thomas said. Although the Supreme Court's decision may impact larger universities with more competitive admissions, SOU will continue to contribute to Ashland's diversity. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing