Race and Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Education ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie J. Park ◽  
Katie K. Koo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Admissions Policies ◽  
Holistic Review ◽  
Supreme Court Rulings ◽  
Admissions Process

Affirmative action is one of the most highly contested policies in US higher education. Affirmative action refers to the ability of colleges and universities to act “affirmatively” with the goal of increasing racial diversity within their institutions. In order to do this, universities have race-conscious admissions policies, meaning that they may consider an applicant’s race as one of numerous factors in weighing whether to admit a student or not. Race-conscious admissions policies stand in contrast to “race-blind” or “race-neutral” policies, which do not consider an applicant’s race as a factor in any portion of the admissions process. In general, race-conscious admissions policies at the undergraduate level generally affect only selective and highly selective institutions, a fraction of colleges and universities. However, other types of affirmative-action-related programs (e.g., affirmative action in hiring faculty, scholarships for minority students) exist at a broader range of institutions and are affected by the continued legality of race-conscious admissions. Affirmative action has notable symbolic significance. A key component of the debate is whether universities should be able to take race into account in the admissions process, which reflects a broader controversy over whether color-blindness or some measure of race consciousness is the more appropriate way to address the continued underrepresentation of certain minority groups in higher education. Thus, the affirmative-action debate has garnered a significant amount of media and public attention since the 1970s. Due to numerous court cases, the legal permissibility and justification for affirmative action remains in flux. Different states, such as California and Washington, have also passed anti-affirmative-action ordinances. Some confusion exists over what affirmative action is and is not. Affirmative action is often associated with quotas or set-asides; that is, reserving a certain number of seats for a particular group in an admissions pool. However, such measures have been illegal since the 1970s. Points systems that assign a specific amount of points related to an applicant’s race/ethnicity are also illegal. However, under current Supreme Court rulings, holistic review of applicants that considers the influence of race as one of numerous factors is generally legal except in states that have passed affirmative-action bans. Finally, the implementation of affirmative action also varies from institution to institution due to the unique contexts of different college campuses. Various universities choose to weigh different criteria given their needs and range of applicants.

scholarly journals The Partial Deinstitutionalization of Affirmative Action in U.S. Higher Education, 1988-2014

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Hirschman ◽  
Ellen Berrey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
State Level ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Private Institutions ◽  
Organizational Policy ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Undergraduate Admissions ◽  
Admissions Policies ◽  
The Status

Race-conscious admissions policies are politically controversial yet pragmatically effective for improving access for people of color to selective U.S. colleges and universities. While the admissions policies of elite institutions get the most political, scholarly, and media attention, little is known about the use of affirmative action in admissions across the broader field of selective higher education. Based on analysis of longitudinal panel data of almost 1,000 selective status colleges and universities, we find a dramatic shift in stated organizational policy starting in the mid-1990s. In 1994, 60% of institutions publicly declared that they considered race in undergraduate admissions; by 2014, just 35% did. Yet there is substantial variation depending on schools’ status (competitiveness) and sector (public or private). Notably, race-conscious admissions remain the stated organizational policy of almost all of the most elite public and private institutions. The retreat from race-conscious admissions occurs largely among schools relatively lower in the status hierarchy: very competitive public institutions and competitive public and private institutions. These patterns are not explained by the implementation of state-level bans. The findings suggest that both the diversity imperative and the diffuse impact of the anti-affirmative action movement are not consistent across strata of American higher education.

The Informational Value of Affirmative Action in College Admissions

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric K Furstenberg
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
College Admissions ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Admissions Policies ◽  
Racial Preferences ◽  
Admissions Officers ◽  
The University ◽  
Admissions Process ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract This article develops a theoretical model of college admissions to investigate the effects of banning affirmative action admissions policies on the efficiency of the admissions process. Previous work in this area has shown that prohibiting affirmative action causes inefficiency when college quality is an increasing function of diversity. This article identifies an additional reason why colleges and universities use racial preferences in admissions, setting aside explicit demands for diversity. In the theoretical model, the racial identity of the applicants is relevant information for making inferences about an applicant's true academic ability. Preventing admissions officers from using this information results in inefficient selection of applicants, even if diversity does not explicitly enter the objective of the university. Thus, affirmative action is justified solely on informational grounds.

scholarly journals An Alternative to Affirmative Action: Attributing Lack of Diversity in Undergraduate Institutions to a Failing Education System

2004 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Sherratta
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Education System ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Court Decision ◽  
Admissions Policies ◽  
Undergraduate Institutions

In the recent Supreme Court decision, Grutter v. Bollinger, the Court upheld the use of race-based affirmative action in admissions processes at higher education institutions. In the course of holding that diversity is a compelling interest, and that narrowly tailored race-conscious programs may be used to achieve diversity at graduate and undergraduate institutions, the Court also noted that such “race-conscious admissions policies must be limited in time.”

scholarly journals Affirmative action and justice policies: an analysis of the understanding of law course students about the legal reservation of places for access to higher education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thamyres Cavalcante de Melo ◽  
Bianca Gomes da Silva Muylaert Monteiro de Castro
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Law Students ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Cultural Transformations ◽  
Starting Point

Affirmative actions reflect the ideal of achieving equal opportunities and represent the realization of cultural transformations in order to reduce the effects of historically accumulated inequalities. Such actions are capableof implementing greater representation of minority groups in the most diverse domains of public and private activity. In the case of quotas instituted to guarantee minority access to higher education, the reservation of places is one of the forms of social justice that tries to guarantee a minimum level of education for the most disadvantaged, trying to compensate and equalize the opportunities for access to education. This research aimed to analyze the perception of students in the ISECENSA Law course about the affirmative action policy, with an emphasis on the quota modality that promotes the legal reserve of places for the so-called “minorities”. Therefore, the methodology used was qualiquantitative and had as its starting point the bibliographical review to situate the quota policy as an object in the field of socio-legal studies. Documentary analysis of laws on the subject was carried out, as well as field research, through which the questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument to verify the position of ISECENSA law students on the quota policy and to identify whether the students understand the meaning of the quota policy. Thus, 115 questionnaires were applied to students from the 1st to the 5th period of the Isecensa Law course and the data collected showed the students' concern with Social Justice, even with the initial lack of knowledge about the concept of “affirmative action”. In this way, it was possible to analyze the perception of law students at ISECENSA regarding the quota policy and also to promote awareness of the reasons and effects of the implementation of that policy. It is expected then, to contribute to the humanization of educational institutions by encouraging diversity in order to build a society that respects difference, seeking to achieve peace and equality

scholarly journals Acesso de indígenas e quilombolas na Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana - UEFS

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (31) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Otto Vinicius Agra Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
State University ◽  
Low Income Students ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Educational Inclusion ◽  
The University

O artigo se insere na área de estudo das políticas de ações afirmativas no ensino superior brasileiro caracterizadas pela inclusão de estudantes negros, de baixa renda, oriundos de escolas públicas, indígenas e quilombolas. O principal objetivo é analisar parte dos dados sobre o acesso de estudantes indígenas e quilombolas na Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS). Utilizou-se de pesquisa bibliográfica, que apresenta lacunas quanto à produção científica sobre a presença de indígenas e quilombolas nas universidades brasileiras, bem como análise documental, notadamente o Relatório da Política de Ações Afirmativas da UEFS: o sistema de reserva de vagas (2007-2017). Os resultados apontam que as ações afirmativas têm potencial para promover a diversidade social e étnico-racial na universidade, mas no caso da UEFS, no período analisado, os dados indicam que a reserva de vagas não garantiu a inclusão de indígenas e quilombolas de forma satisfatória. Aponta-se a importância de estudos que respondam aos desafios da inclusão educacional de indígenas e quilombolas no ensino superior brasileiro. Abstract: The article is part of the study area of affirmative action policies in Brazilian higher education characterized by the inclusion of black low income students from public schools, indigenous and quilombolas. The main objective is to analyze part of the data about the access of indigenous and quilombolas students at the State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS). We used bibliographic research, which presents gaps in the scientific production about the presence of indigenous and quilombolas in Brazilian universities, as well as documentary analysis, notably the UEFS Affirmative Action Policy Report: the reserve system of vacancies (2007- 2017). The results indicate that affirmative actions have the potential to promote social and ethnic-racial diversity in the university, but in the case of UEFS, in the analyzed period, the data indicate that the reservation of vacancies did not guarantee the inclusion of natives and quilombolas in a satisfactory way . It is pointed out the importance of studies that respond to the challenges of the educational inclusion of natives and quilombolas in Brazilian higher education.

Can Greentree University Adopt Holistic Admissions Practices and Still Maintain Status as an Elite Institution?

2021 ◽  
pp. 155545892098555
Author(s):  
Lisa S. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Potential Outcomes ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Elite University ◽  
Legal Challenges ◽  
College Of Nursing ◽  
The University ◽  
Admissions Process ◽  
University Setting

Despite legal challenges, universities are increasingly using holistic admissions practices to accomplish affirmative action and increased student diversity. The admissions committee of the college of nursing at an elite university grapples with the potential outcomes of adopting a holistic admissions process. The case offers the legal and theoretical contexts surrounding affirmative action in higher education. The reader is prompted to consider the value of diversity in the university setting, and the legal and ethical perspectives surrounding admissions practices.

The next generation: Experiences of higher educated Turkish-Dutch on The Hague labour market

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-217
Author(s):  
Karijn G. Nijhoff
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Education System ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Market Positioning ◽  
The Hague ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Dutch City

This paper explores the relationship between education and labour market positioning in The Hague, a Dutch city with a unique labour market. One of the main minority groups, Turkish-Dutch, is the focus in this qualitative study on higher educated minorities and their labour market success. Interviews reveal that the obstacles the respondents face are linked to discrimination and network limitation. The respondents perceive “personal characteristics” as the most important tool to overcoming the obstacles. Education does not only increase their professional skills, but also widens their networks. The Dutch education system facilitates the chances of minorities in higher education through the “layering” of degrees. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document