ANALYSIS: University says fellowships under assessment
At least twenty probably illegal scholarships are listed by the University of Alabama that discriminate based on racial or gender features.
Their entire combined price exceeds$ 200, 000 annually.
However, according to a director, the college is now reviewing its programs as a result of “recent judicial and legislative activity.”
New legal action, according to Alex House, the associate director for media relations, has prompted organizations “around the country, including The University of Alabama, to examine scholarship programs to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal rules,” according to House.
” This process is ongoing”, House said via email.
The governor of Alabama recently approved legislation that forbids the funding of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and policies.
Edward Bartlett, the president of Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, a civil liberties organization, criticized the scholarships.
He told The Fix,” These scholarships are a clear violation of the federal Title IX law, and contravene the intent of the Alabama law to ban any’ program’ that is’ based on an individual’s race ]or ] sex”.
” Programs that pander to the gender agenda are an affront to the university’s mission“, Bartlett said via email. He quoted the university mission to “advance the intellectual and social condition of the people of the state, the nation, and the world through the creation, translation, and dissemination of knowledge with an emphasis on quality programs of teaching, research, and service”.
Bartlett said offering “priority” or “preference” to certain groups, as some scholarships do, is still illegal.
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He said” such statements suggest a’ preference’ for certain classes of individuals, which violates the Fourteenth Amendment”.
Additionally, multiple scholarships on the website give priority to individuals “whose enrollment would enhance the diversity of the University’s student population” without clarifying how diversity would be determined.
Bartlett said” the new Alabama law refers to ‘ diversity’ 13 times, and expressly prohibits programs that are designed to promote’ diversity.’ Therefore, this language seems to be in violation of the new Alabama law.
The recipient of the John S. & Grace P. Neel Endowed Scholarship is not required to be a woman, but rather, it is based on their participation in a” Women’s Initiative Program.”
When questioned about whether that was legal, Bartlett responded,” the key is whether the Women’s Initiative Program evaluates applicants based on their sex.” If all former recipients are female, this is clear evidence of anti- male sex discrimination”.
Seven scholarships, including the Hester Joe Willis Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Ann and Patience Stevens Scholarship, give either priority or preference to female applicants.
An additional seven scholarships, including the John W. Nixon– Fiesta Bowl Endowed Scholarship in Social Work, are offered to “minority” students. The Ione Hendrick Roche Memorial Endowed Scholarship is also made available to a “minority woman” in particular.
African-American students are prioritized over male students enrolled in early childhood or elementary education programs, while the Fran Bond and Ed Holmes Endowed Scholarship gives preference to these students.
Moreover, the SJ4A Scholarship Program: Training of Community- Embedded Social Justice Archivists is awarded to” Black, Indigenous, and people of color ( BIPOC ) paraprofessionals”.
” Korean graduate students” are the top priority for the Yong Ho Shin scholarship.
Scholarships created through wills or trusts can be discriminated against based on sex or race only if they grant equal funding to groups that are excluded.
Similar issues have arisen at other universities regarding scholarships awarded based on sex or ace.
Following a federal civil rights complaint from the Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, Southern Illinois University recently revised its scholarship.
The EPP recently filed a complaint against North Central University’s” George Floyd Memorial Scholarship” only offered to black students.
MORE: A bill in the Congressional body wants to stop DEI in medical schools.
IMAGE: University of Alabama/Facebook
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