University of Georgia won't consider race as part of admissions policy

A University of Georgia task force has decided to keep the school's admissions process race-neutral, at least for one more year. Members of the group said Thursday it would be impossible to complete their work in time to recommend changes to the current admissions policy. UGA officials are considering reinstituting an admissions policy that factors in race. In 2001, a federal judge ruled the practice unconstitutional. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schools may use race as a factor in admissions as long as it is not the sole criteria. "I think we'd all like to see this done this year," said David Roberts, a history professor and chairman of the Freshman Admissions Task Force. "But there is no point in doing something that won't hold up in court." The group's tasks include defining ways in which the University of Georgia is not diverse enough and determining the point at which the student body would be considered diverse. Since abandoning its old system, UGA officials have stepped up efforts to recruit minority students. [more]