Affirming Equal Opportunity in Higher Education with a Repeal of Proposition 209  
Hello

California is home to world-class public universities, and we must ensure that diverse Californians can also benefit from the opportunity these universities provide. Unfortunately, Black, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Native American students are underrepresented in our universities. 
 
Since the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996 by California voters, which banned affirmative action, alternative admissions policies and other practices at universities to increase the diversity of their student body have not been adequate.
 
In the Fall of 2019, the University of California (UC) undergraduate student population was 33% Asian and Pacific Islander, 25% Latinx, 21% White, and 4% Black, not at all reflective of our state’s diversity.
Proposition 209 also impacts hiring processes, and as a result, faculty and higher education leadership are overwhelmingly White. This lack of representation is harmful to students and California’s economy. California must produce a talented, educated, and diverse workforce to secure our future economic recovery from this pandemic. That cannot be done without closing the opportunity gap for Californians who are Latinx, Black, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
 
The Campaign for College Opportunity supports Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 by Assemblymember Shirley Weber, which would place a measure on the November ballot to repeal Proposition 209. ACA 5 recognizes that our higher education system does not reflect the diversity of California. It is vital that California ensures equitable access to our public universities for admissions and employment. Allowing for the use of race-conscious policies will support state priorities in making our higher education system more inclusive and reflective of our state’s diversity, as well as fostering a diverse faculty at our K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.  
 
ACA 5 would create the opportunity for public universities and colleges to create policies that aid in diversifying their student bodies, utilize hiring practices that improve diversity amongst their faculty and teachers, and set specific policies to close the racial/ethnic equity gaps that persist in education.