ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF MADISON Student Council, 10th Session 10-0626-x Title: Support for Affirmative Action Sponsored by:

Representative Ejercito Whereas, There is documented evidence to indicate individual and institutional barriers to equal opportunity exists for significant numbers of women, people of color, veterans, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered/queer individuals, lower-income people, nontraditional status holders, and persons with disabilities; Whereas, Crucial decisions regarding affirmative action from the Supreme Court of the United States in the cases of Grutz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger have upheld the spirit of affirmative action; Whereas, Consciousness of the nexus of the aforementioned categories with socioeconomic status will help our nation reconcile the contradiction between the segregated, unequal reality of our education system and the gains of the Civil Rights Movement such as Brown v. Board of Education and its fundamental intent, namely, the full integration and equality of opportunity in American education; Whereas, Racial quotas guarantee equality of outcome, not equality of opportunity and are therefore detrimental to the pursuit of true equality; Whereas, Racial quotas are illegal as per University of California v. Bakke; Whereas, affirmative action has intentionally and inaccurately been characterized as racial preferences or reverse discrimination for the purposes of skewing public opinion; Whereas, affirmative action has proven its value as a remedial concept in the removal of barriers for people in the aforementioned categories who have been denied equal access to participation in higher education; Whereas, Article 3, Part (e), Subsection (iii) of the Constitution of the Associated Students of Madison charges ASM with working towards the recognition of access to education as a basic human right; Whereas, Article 3, Part (e), Subsection (iii) of the Constitution of the Associated Students of Madison charges ASM with the enforcement of civil rights guarantees in all aspects of university life and policy; Whereas, Section 72-11, Part III, Subsection C of the University of Wisconsin System Policies states that Particular consideration in admission will be given to applicants who have been out of school for two or more years, service veterans, as defined by state and

federal policies, and to students who have been disadvantaged as a result of substandard education, family income level, or ethnic background, but only if they appear to have a reasonable probability of success; Whereas, ASM has a long-standing practice of exercising their powers of shared governance under Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5) which states in part that The students of each institution or campus shall be active participants in the immediate governance of and policy development for such institutions. As such, students shall have the primary responsibility for the formulation and review of policies concerning student life, services, and interests; Whereas, ASM has a long-standing practice of abiding by Federal, State, Local, UW System, and Campus affirmative action policies, especially through the duties performed by the Nominations Board; Therefore, the Associated Students of Madison acting in Student Council do enact as follows: Be it resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison oppose the use of racial quotas in admissions and hiring; Be it further resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison support consideration of all mitigating factors in any qualified applicants background, including but not limited to family income, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, non-traditional status, physical disability, gender, and ethnic background; Be it further resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison shall continue to advocate on behalf of affirmative action and recruitment programs designed to provide fair equal access to employment, educational and economic opportunity for all; Be it further resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison shall continue to support positive legislative reform related to affirmative action; Be it further resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison shall vigorously oppose legislative or other action, at whatever governmental level, designed to either eliminate or undermine the basic principles of affirmative action; Be it further resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison shall play an active role under their authority granted by Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5) in the formulation of any policy changes that the aforementioned Supreme Court cases might necessitate; Be it finally resolved, that the Associated Students of Madison shall continue to support the protection of civil rights and access to higher education as charged by the Constitution of the Associated Students of Madison. Date: 06-20-03

Disposition: Chair: Secretary: