Students at the University of Wisconsin - Madison are urging the school to give free tuition and housing to Black students. This may be a chance for the school to make up for legally barring education for slaves and still remaining "out of reach" for Black students to this day.
The Associated Press, via Diverse Education, reported that The Associated Students of Madison (ASM), student government of the university, stated in a resolution that students from suburban high schools are "overrepresented." Moreover, the student government also argued that the use of ACT and SAT scores to determine who gets to study in the University of Wisconsin - Madison hurts the chances of the poor and "upholds White Supremacy."
Racism has been an issue at the university's flagship campus for quite some time now. With this, the school has proposed some measures to improve diversity.
ASM Student Council Rep. Tyriek Mack, author of the resolution, said in a statement that the legislation was created to compel the university to push through with its commitment to diversity and inclusion. He added that the "racial composition" would remain the same "if no one challenges the university's empty promises."
The resolution by ASM urges the university to provide free access to all black people, including those who have done time in jail. It includes free tuition, housing and no fees.
It also noted that 10 percent of donations given to the University of Wisconsin - Madison should be set aside for improving financial aid. Plus, the institution should study the possibility of "test-optional and geographically-weighted admissions."
According to WiscNews, Black students only make up 2 percent of the enrollment at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The resolution, which was announced on Wednesday, has shown the "chilling effect" of using SAT and ACT scores on low-income students. It proved that there is still a significant achievement gap between majority and minority students.
