Students gathered Monday to fight a proposed ban on affirmative action at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The proposed amendment to the Nebraska Constitution would outlaw “preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.” The Lincoln Journal Star reported that the students were part of Students United for Nebraska, a new group that was formed as a coalition of organizations including ones representing minority and gay students.

The UNL administration has taken a stand on this issue, saying that the college would be at risk if the amendment would pass.

“It would be a step backward in addressing our minority focused student recruiting educational and mentoring scholarships that consider gender and race,” said Meg Lauerman director of university communications.

The ban is being pushed by a California group that must get around 100,000 signatures to put its proposal on the November ballot.