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Connerly Petition

01/18/2008

WHEREAS, the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska is committed to the achievement of broad diversity in its student body and workforce in order to enrich the educational experience of students and strengthen the competitiveness of our state and nation in the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nebraska is becoming more diverse in many ways, including in race and national origin, and the University provides outreach and educational and support programs to encourage the educational access, persistence and success necessary if our state and its people are to prosper; and

WHEREAS, in endeavoring to achieve broad diversity in the makeup of the University’s student body and workforce, the University from time to time employs narrowly tailored measures that take into consideration diversity of race and gender, consistent with relevant decisions of the United States Supreme Court and with state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin and disability; and

WHEREAS, there is currently being circulated among the electorate of the State of Nebraska an initiative petition commonly called the Connerly petition, an initiative that appears to be part of a national strategy developed and financed by interests outside Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, the Connerly petition seeks to amend the Nebraska Constitution in ways that would eliminate lawful and established measures used by the University to assist in carrying out the Board of Regents’ commitment to achievement of diversity;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska that the Board believes the use of existing narrowly tailored lawful measures that take diversity into consideration to assist in achieving the Board's commitment to diversity in the University's student body and workforce is good public policy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board believes the amendment to the Nebraska Constitution proposed by the Connerly petition is not good public policy and may result in elimination of existing lawful measures employed by the University in furtherance of the Board’s commitment to diversity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board believes that Nebraskans, through their elected officials and institutions, should address Nebraska issues in ways that best serve state interests consistent with existing law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents opposes the Connerly petition and urges the voters of the State of Nebraska not to sign the same.