Contact: Monty Jones, (512) 499-4363

Date: March 26, 1996

UT System News Release

Regents Request Appeal of 5th Circuit Ruling; Admissions to Resume Under New Guidelines

Austin -- The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System decided unanimously Tuesday (March 26) to request that Texas Attorney General Dan Morales appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court last week's ruling striking down affirmative action programs in University admissions.

"The Board feels strongly that all avenues for appeal should be pursued vigorously," said Bernard Rapoport, chairman of the Board of Regents.

The regents approved a motion asking the attorney general to apply for a writ of certiorari to appeal the March 18 decision by a three-judge panel of the 5th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Hopwood vs. State of Texas. The case arose over admissions policies at the U.T. Austin Law School.

Also Tuesday, U.T. System Chancellor William H. Cunningham informed the presidents of the 15 System institutions that, while the ruling is being appealed, they may resume admitting students for the summer and fall of 1996, with the understanding that the institutions must operate under the guidelines of the ruling. In accordance with the ruling, admission decisions cannot take into account the race or ethnicity of an applicant. The chancellor temporarily halted all admission decisions last week to give officials time to assess the ruling.

"Although we are seeking an appeal, it should go without saying that the U.T. System will obey the law and will strictly adhere to the instructions of the 5th Circuit," Cunningham said.

Cunningham said administrative officials will continue to study all options for admissions systems that will comply with the Hopwood decision.