February 14th, 2008
And so it begins…at least there are some people paying attention.
UNMC:
Faculty Senate passes resolution opposing affirmative action ban
by Chuck Brown, UNMC public affairs
The UNMC Faculty Senate passed a resolution on Monday night urging Nebraska state lawmakers to reject a legislative measure that would ban affirmative action.
UNMC is committed to achieving and maintaining a diverse student body and workforce to enrich the educational experience for students, said Faculty Senate President Gordon Todd, Ph.D., a professor in the department of genetics, cell biology and anatomy.
"This diversity increases UNMC’s competitiveness with other institutions because it better prepares students to face the diversity they will encounter in their careers," Dr. Todd said. "LR233CA is not good public policy and could eliminate lawful measures used by the university to ensure such valuable diversity."
Faculty Senate member Mary Helms, associate director of the McGoogan Library of Medicine, echoed Dr. Todd’s comments about the importance of creating and maintaining a diverse workforce and student body at UNMC.
"Our population as a whole is becoming more diverse and it’s important that we embrace this fact and prepare our students to succeed in this reality," Helms said.
ERNIE:
Chambers blisters senator over bill he calls racist
By JoANNE YOUNG / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008 – 07:10:33 pm CST
Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers took a pause Thursday during a congenial tussle with a senator over a bill to blister another colleague over an affirmative action bill introduced Wednesday.
While debating a bill that would protect gun ranges from residential development, Chambers caught a glimpse of Sen. Mark Christensen on the floor. The senator from Imperial on Wednesday had introduced a resolution that would put a constitutional ban on affirmative action on Nebraska’s November ballot.
“Now since Sen. Christensen has chosen to come into my neighborhood, he and I are going to tussle over a thing or two, also,” he said.
Chambers said Christensen thinks it’s all right to do things for white people, who make up 92 percent of the state’s population. But when groups that have been discriminated against and prevented from getting an education are given compensation, he said, “Here comes old Christian Christensen saying, ‘I want the constitution to say, by god, them people haven’t had no rights and they ain’t gonna get no rights if I can … have it my way.’”