Friedman, however, maintains her faith in it. The rhetoric of this backlash has made people think that minorities get hired when they aren t really qualified. I deeply believe in affirmative action and the good it can do. Friedman rejects the argument that affirmative action should be based on relative wealth instead of race. Where there are like people, you ll get more like people to go.
Race can be vitally important to an institution or department.
President Bennet agreed with Friedman that decisions in hiring and admissions should continue to take race into account. Given what s happening around the country, it s all the more important for Wesleyan to stand up. Some students believe that the recent failure of Jeffery Kerr-Ritchie to receive tenure casts doubt on Wesleyan s commitment to affirmative action. However, Director of Academic Affairs Richard Boyd said that because only 17 minority faculty members were eligible for tenure in that time period, the sample size is too small for the discrepancy to have any statistical significance. In general, Friedman said her office has made Wesleyan more inclusive, especially for faculty and staff.