Universities that reward black and Hispanic students for academic achievements are shortchanging the minority student community, a nationally-recognized authority on American higher education said last night.

"If I were a member of one of those groups, I would feel a bit ambivalent," said Dinesh D'Souza at a talk sponsored by the College Republicans. "You are being commended for receiving a 2.8, 3.0. or 3.2 (grade point average), while for members of another group that is the expected level."

D'Souza, a research fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, remarked that schools like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Penn State are giving blacks and Hispanics financial awards for making academic achievements that are considered average among white and Asian students.

He also argued that American universities are creating racial tension on their campuses by bypassing highly qualified white and Asian students for less qualified black and Hispanic students in an attempt to diversify higher education.

When blacks and Hispanics ask university officials why their overall academic achievments are considerably lower than their white and Asian counterparts, universities do not tell them that it is because black and Hispanic students are not admitted on the same academic criteria, D'Souza said.

"Instead of admitting to the activists that the minority students were not as competent, (they say) 'we don't know'," he said, adding that this response leads student activists to believe the treatment must be institutionalized racism.

Several members of the audience expressed that they felt D'Souza was being insensitive to the concerns of minorites.

"You are saying that African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans should live up to European standards," said Vanessa Wright, president of the University chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "A lot of Africans-Americans come from inner-city high schools and the majority of white students went to suburban high schools. The suburban and city high schools are very divided. City schools get the worst text books and bad teachers."

Wright also demanded that the College Republicans make a public apology to the University minority community.

She arefuted D'Souza's claim that the main reason that blacks and Hispanics drop out of college at high rates is for academic reasons.

"Dropout rates among minorities are high, because of financial problems and the social environment on campus," Wright said. "Many blacks can't afford to go to college away from their parents."

D'Souza said he did not mean to be insensitive to minorities, although he admitted the issues he talked about were controversial.

Von Eric Saunders (senior-psychology) said he felt D'Souza was very insensitive to the minority community.

"If you continue to be insensitive to the concerns of people, you will always have a balkanized, polarized society," said Saunders.