ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan will present an update on the status of two lawsuits that have been filed over its admissions practices. The event is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League, 911 N. University. The lawsuits criticize the consideration of race as one of many factors in order to create a diverse learning environment. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in May supporting the University’s Law School admissions policies in the case Grutter v. Bollinger. The Center for Individual Rights, which filed the two lawsuits, has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The case involving undergraduate admissions, Gratz v. Bollinger, was decided in the University’s favor on summary judgement in federal district court in December 2000. The Sixth Circuit has heard an appeal but has not yet issued a decision. During the Sept. 18 event, Mary Sue Coleman, U-M president since Aug. 1, will discuss her views on affirmative action and the University’s commitment to a diverse campus. Marvin Krislov, vice president and general counsel, will moderate two panels in a discussion of developments that have taken place in these cases over the summer months. Panelists also will provide information on the philosophy behind the University’s admissions practices, the history of the lawsuits, and the legal landscape for affirmative action across the country. The program will follow a question-and-answer format, and an opportunity will be given for audience members to ask questions at the end. Panelists are: Paul N. Courant, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Jeffrey S. Lehman, Law School dean; Saul A. Green president, U-M Alumni Association and senior counsel with Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone; Monique Luse, president of the student government in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts; John Payton, attorney with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering and a member of the U-M legal team; Maureen Mahoney, attorney with Latham & Watkins and a member of the U-M legal team; and Ted Shaw, associate director and counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and attorney for the intervenors in Gratz v. Bollinger. The program is free and open to the public. It also will be broadcast live on the Web at www.umich.edu and on UMTV, available on the campus cable TV system and locally in Ann Arbor on Comcast Channel 22. Rebroadcasts of the event will be presented on Michigan Radio (WUOM, 91.7FM; WFUM, 91.1FM; WVGR, 104.1FM) at 8 p.m. on Sept. 19. UMTV will air it at: 8 p.m. Sept. 20; 6 p.m. Sept. 22; 8 p.m. Sept. 24; 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26; 7 p.m. Sept. 30; and 8 p.m. Oct. 2. The Webcast will be archived and available for viewing at http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/faqs/. Additional information about the lawsuits is available online at http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/. or