With the passage of Proposal 2 in the state of Michigan in 2006, many factors can no longer be considered in the admissions process. With this, the following fall saw one of the least diverse freshman classes enrolling on the Ann Arbor campus in recent history. Another area that has been significantly affected by Proposal 2 is the effect on private scholarship support because the University can no longer accept donations for race or gender-specific programs.
For these reasons, the Alumni Association established the LEAD Scholars Program to support the traditions of leadership, excellence, achievement and diversity of the University. The Alumni Association, not the University, takes full financial and administrative responsibility for this new scholarship program.
Diversity Under Threat
The following chart demonstrates the freshman enrollment for three major racial/ethnic minorities in the entering classes between 2000 and 2010. The fall 2007 freshman class had the smallest combined percentage of students from the three groups as well as the smallest percentage of African Americans for the entire period.
Additionally, a lack of gender diversity in certain fields presents a challenge equal or greater than that posed by a lack of racial and ethnic diversity. The U.S. Department of Labor defines non-traditional careers as those where men or women comprise less than 25 percent of the workforce. The table below indicates certain fields where men or women earned the fewest degrees at U-M in the 2005-06 school year, along with the percentage of degrees earned by that gender.
| Fewest U-M Degrees Earned by Women, 2005 – 06 (Women < 25% of total) | Fewest U-M Degrees Earned by Men, 2005 – 06 (Men < 25% of total) |
| Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences | 0% | Dance | 0% |
| Biophysics | 0% | Earth Systems Science and Engineering | 0% |
| General Physics | 0% | Dental Hygiene | 3% |
| Microbiology | 0% | Nursing | 4% |
| Physics | 9% | Elementary Education | 7% |
| Computer Science | 9% | Afro-American and African Studies | 9% |
| Computer Engineering | 10% | Design and Production | 20% |
| Engineering Physics | 13% | History of Art | 20% |
| Sound Engineering | 17% | Communication | 22% |
| Engineering | 18% | ||
| Biomedical Engineering | 19% | ||
| Electrical Engineering | 20% | ||
| Mechanical Engineering | 21% | ||
| Aerospace Engineering | 22% | ||
| Civil Engineering | 22% |
The Value of Diversity
It is a common misconception that diversity efforts benefit only those who are the proximate targets of those efforts. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A large and growing body of evidence suggests that all students benefit from living and studying in an environment that more closely resembles America. The Alumni Association has heard this repeatedly from alumni who cite their exposure to a diverse student body as a major contributor to their future life success. The University benefits by attracting the best and brightest students from all walks of life. American employers – business, government, institutions – also benefit from diversity efforts that broaden and deepen their pool of prospective employees.
Diversity is especially critical at great universities, like the University of Michigan, where lifelong relationships are forged between young people who are the future leaders in their fields.
