With minority enrollment down at SMU, student voters may weigh the issue of diversity in schools before placing their ballot Nov. 5. Candidate views on enrollment policies often reflect party platforms.
Typically, Democrats favor programs like affirmative action, while Republicans are not as comfortable with the idea. This election, Texan politicians reflect these positions.
Professor Cal Jilson of the political science department said Democrats Tony Sanchez, who is running for Texas governor, and former Dallas mayor and candidate for Senator Ron Kirk have both announced that they benefited from affirmative action and support such programs in the education system.
“Ron Kirk recently said that his admission to the University of Texas School of Law was partly responsible for affirmative action, but his graduation was by his own efforts,” Jilson said.
Sanchez also supports programs that will give minorities access to education, but places responsibility on the student.
According to a statement on his official campaign Web site, Sanchez does not support quotas, but a multi-faced approach that takes into account a student’s family income, the quality of schools attended and performance both inside and outside the classroom, as well as ethnic origin.
“Governor Rick Perry and the Republican candidate for Senator, Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, are not as supportive towards affirmative action programs,” Jilson said.
“Governor Perry supports what he calls Affirmative Access where it advertises opportunities available and then it enables competition.”
President Bush also supports Affirmative Access and regards it as a program that does not support quotas but gives everyone access at a fair shot.
Attorney General Cornyn also supports similar policies and wants to introduce a program for students who have a B average that will guarantee them tuition for state colleges.
“The number of Texas high school students who go on to attend college is below the national average,” Jilson said. “So this is a way to provide an opportunity
to everyone.”
Although all candidates offer their views on student issues, finding a candidate’s stance on student-related issues can be difficult due to the low percentage of students who vote.
“Students often forget to move their registration when they go to college,” Jilson said. Only about one-quarter of 18 to 25-year-olds vote in a critical election, and even fewer vote in mid-term elections.
Jilson said if students want to see their issues put to the forefront and want to deal with diversity issues, they should go out and vote.
“Because students are not registered and unlikely to vote, politicians don’t normally address issues concerning students,” Jilson said. “If students did vote, politicians would profile those issues more.”
