CSU opposes Prop. 54

By Sandra A. MacNevin
University Relations

During its September 2003 meeting, the Board of Trustees of The California State University voted unanimously to oppose Proposition 54, the Classification by Race, Ethnicity, Color or National Origin initiative, which is scheduled to appear on the Oct. 7 Special Election ballot.

If approved by voters on Oct. 7, Proposition 54, widely referred to as the racial privacy initiative, would ban state agencies from collecting information by race in most instances, with exceptions made when necessary to comply with federal law, to establish or maintain eligibility for federal programs, for various law enforcement functions, and for some medical research.

If passed, Proposition 54 would reduce the CSU’s ability to determine the impact of its admission policies and practices on various groups of students and to assess the effectiveness of outreach and recruitment efforts. Passage of Proposition 54 would eliminate access to information and research data that would enable educators, policymakers and the public to evaluate whether or not our state is providing access to higher education and other public services in an equitable manner to all of its citizens. Access to this data is critical in order to know which policies to revise and which services to offer.

Proponents of Proposition 54, including UC Regent Ward Connerly, the initiative’s chief sponsor, state that passage of this initiative is an important step toward creating a color-blind society in our state and nation.

For additional information on Proposition 54, including the full text of Proposition 54 and arguments for and against this initiative, see www.racialprivacy.org (Web site established in support of Proposition 54) and www.defeat54.org (Web site established in opposition to Proposition 54).