ODU'S DUNMAN APPEARS AS GUEST ON CNN AND BBC PROGRAMS

ReNe� S. Dunman, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action at Old Dominion University, appeared as a guest on CNN's "Sunday Newsroom" on July 1 and was interviewed by BBC News on June 28 regarding affirmative action. She spoke about last week's Supreme Court rulings that struck down policies in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle, Wash., that assigned students to schools based partly on the color of their skin.

While Dunman was disappointed that the programs were overturned, she said, "This is not time for a funeral."

Citing both positive and negative aspects of the cases, Dunman applauded the court for leaving open the possibility that schools could consider race in some limited fashion.

"Race isn't a four-letter word," said Dunman. "We have found that racial diversity brings value to a student's educational experience."

The narrow ruling was the first time since 2003 that the Supreme Court had ruled on the issue of race and education.

An attorney licensed to practice law in Virginia, Dunman received her bachelor's degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, her master's in communications from Norfolk State University and her law degree from the University of Baltimore. She currently serves as the president of the American Association for Affirmative Action.