The University of Michigan is prohibited by state law from considering race in its admission decisions. The ban on race sensitive admissions, which was passed by voters in 2006, appears to have had a major impact on black enrollments at the University of Michigan. In 2005, the year before the voter referendum in Michigan which banned affirmative action, officials figures show that blacks made up 7.2 percent of the freshman class at the University of Michigan. In 2008, the year when the ban on race-sensitive admissions was in effect for all applications, black make up 6.8 percent of the incoming class.
This fall, there are 323 African Americans in the entering class. This is down from 347 African-American first-year students last fall. This year, African Americans are 5.5 percent of the entering class.
For the entire University of Michigan undergraduate student body, there are 1,514 African American students. They are 5.8 percent of all undergraduate students. There are 693 African American students in University of Michigan graduate and professional schools. They make up 6.1 percent of all graduate students.
Blacks make up 14 percent of the Michigan population.
This is sad how those lawsuits radically changed the complexion of U of M. Although I commend the school for fighting the lawsuit, the admissions officers seem to be turning the clock backwards on Affirmative Action. 5% in a state with a 14% AfAm population–about 75% black in the 100 miles around the school?!!!! Shame on You, U of M!
How about shame on the Detroit Public School system, the Pontiac Public School System, and the other wide ranging school districts that don’t properly prepare students — of any race — for college.