College Republicans at Texas - Press Releases May 2004

PRESS RELEASES

May 2004

May 10, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Republicans at Texas Respond to Faulkner on Diversity Report

Contact:

Brian Bodine, The College Republicans at Texas, (512) 554-4583

May 10, 2004

Austin, TX – The College Republicans at Texas are responding to UT President
Larry Faulkner's response to the Taskforce Report on Racial Respect and
Fairness, which he established in March 2003. Faulkner’s response came much
anticipation since the Taskforce issued its first report in January 2004.

The Taskforce was convened in response to several racially charged incidences
that took place on the UT campus in the spring of 2003. Faulkner's response
called for a number of policy changes to be implemented at UT, including:

1.) A course requirement in the undergraduate general curriculum requiring
each student to take a course bearing on diversity. (#22)

2.) Certification of student organizations with regards to diversity. (# 65)

3.) The implementation of a University-wide honor code with respect to
diversity. (#29)

4.) The implementation of policies designed to recruit and retain a more
diverse student body and faculty. (#33, 39)

While Faulkner rejected some provisions of the report, there were others that
he upheld, such as recommendations calling for the return of race-based
admissions. “I am pleased that UT President Faulkner decided against rating student
organizations with regards to how much they ‘respect and promote diversity’,”
said College Republicans at Texas Chairman Brian Bodine. “On the other hand,
it doesn’t surprise me that Faulkner wants to re-implement race-based
admissions, since he’s been a huge proponent for unfair affirmative action policies.”

In his response to the diversity Taskforce Report, Faulkner also did not
approve the creation of the new honor code recommended by the Taskforce. Faulkner
did issue a more general honor code on April 30, 2004, but it is unrelated to
the Taskforce Report and it does not pertain to diversity. Faulkner also
called for the implementation of a cross-cultural graduation requirement for
incoming freshman. According to Faulkner, this would not be a “single, specific
course, but rather a subject-area elective chosen by each student from a list of
eligible courses”, and authority for determining the curriculum for the course
would rest with the UT faculty.

“The language Faulkner used in supporting the cross-cultural requirement was
not as strong as that used by the members of the diversity Taskforce, but
there is still a potential for UT faculty members to use such courses to
indoctrinate students in ideologies geared towards ‘promoting diversity’,” said
Bodine. “The fact that UT has so many liberal professors and faculty members makes
this all the more likely. Most students do not want to have to deal with this
burden.”