When California voters in 1996 rejected affirmative action, CSU and UC could no longer consider race and ethnicity in admissions, making a huge impact on the public universities.
Ward Connerly, the ex-University of California regent who fought to end affirmative action in 1996, has resurfaced to fight Proposition 16 which would allow the state's public universities to use race and ethnicity to decide admissions, faculty and contracts.
The CSU’s Board of Trustees voted in favor of Proposition 16 which would repeal the ban on affirmative action for university hiring and admissions. It joins UC and the California Community Colleges boards, which have also come out in favor of affirmative action.