Does Affirmative Action Really Hurt Blacks and Latinos in U.S. Law Schools? (pdf) by William C. Kidder
This policy brief demonstrates that Sander’s prediction of a 7.9% net increase in black lawyers if affirmative action ended today is so unlikely that it is essentially impossible. In fact, based on the 2004 admissions data, an annual decline of 30% to 40% in African American attorneys is more likely if affirmative action ended. This policy brief reviews Sander’s methodological study and situates Latinos in this analysis.
In April 2004, William G. Bowen, president of The Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation, delivered a series of lectures
on "Equity and Excellence in Higher Education" as the
Jefferson Foundation Distinguished Lecturer at the University
of Virginia. In the lectures, Bowen integrated prior
work with new evidence from a recently collected dataset
to explore the achievements and remaining challenges
of American higher education in attaining "excellence
with equity." This lecture (Lecture III, April 13) focuses
on race and affirmative action-where we have been, where
we are now, and where we are going as a nation.
The nation reached an important crossroads on the journey
towards a full multiracial democracy when the Supreme
Court issued its decisions in the two lawsuits challenging
the University of Michigan's race-conscious admissions
policies. Legal scholars have called these cases among
the most important in the court's history. For more
information on the case, read AAC&U's
statement following the decision, the Grutter
vs. Bollinger Brief, the Gratz
vs. Bollinger Brief and the Amicus
Curiae Briefs filed on behalf of the University
of Michigan.
In an interview with Graciela Elizabeth Geyer, she
discusses how government decisions opposing affirmative
action have negatively affected universities and students
in states across the nation and highlights the strengths
of affirmative action in regard to campus diversity.
She also asserts that the elimination of affirmative
action would re-segregate not only higher education,
but society as well. In the fall of 1997, California voters passed Proposition
209, which brought an end to the use of race and gender
as a factor in selection processes at publicly supported
universities, including college admissions. Noguera's
piece examines the impact of this legislation on admissions
at UC Berkeley.
Commentary by Jose Soto, that argues that it is naive to think that academe - or any other social, governmental, or economic enterprise for that matter-is at a point where unguided and random decision-making processes will lead to the creation of a diverse workforce at all levels.
Indiana University initiated a review
of its existing programs dedicated to
minority concerns. This report explores
responsibilities attached specifically
to minority faculty recruitment, retention,
and promotion.
Abandoning numerical goals, the University
of Wisconsin concentrates on alternative
approaches to recruiting students of
color, such as requesting State funds
for more pre-college programs and raising
funds for minority-student scholarships
through private, non-profit foundations.
This report offers a timely response
to the decision of the Board of Regents
of the University of California to end
affirmative action in hiring, admissions,
and the awarding of contracts. The statement
provides an analysis and recommendations
to its members. An excellent response
and vision for the future. (Electronic
dissemination authorized by AAUP 10-16-96).
Tarleton State University is governed
by a strong commitment to equal employment
opportunity and affirmative action,
and this commitment is clearly expressed
in its Affirmative Action Plan.
This site presents diverse opinions
regarding Affirmative Action topics.
Rather than taking a singular pro or
con position, offers many different
voices to the debates surrounding the
issues of affirmative action. This site
provides scholars, students, and the
interested public with articles, theoretical
analyses, policy documents, current
legislative updates, and an annotated
bibliography of research and teaching
materials.
In this report, the University of
Michigan has brought together a team
of leading scholars to serve as its
experts in establishing the compelling
need for diversity in higher education.
Their research in the fields of history,
sociology, education, economics, psychology,
and law confirm that the use of race
in higher education admissions is not
only constitutional, but of vital importance
to education and society.
This study measures the educational benefits of diversity.
Data from this in-depth empirical analysis show that
students educated in diverse classrooms learn to think
in deeper and more complex ways, and are better prepared
to become active participants in a pluralistic, democratic
society.
Focus on Law Studies is a bi-annual
publication of the American Bar Association
that looks at issues and concerns involved
in teaching about the law in liberal
arts programs in colleges and universities.
The spring 1998 issue, "Affirmative
Action: A Dialogue on Race, Gender,
Equality and Law in America," is a dialogue
among nine leading scholars and other
educators. It addresses the need for
affirmative action, why race continues
to matter, social and legal policies,
affirmative action and diversity in
college admissions, and the intersection
of race and gender in affirmative action
policies.
In
Affirmative Action, It's Curriculum
That Counts, by Clifford Adelman,
U.S. Department of Education
In his essay, Adelman, a senior research
analyst at the U.S. Department of Education,
challenges the use of GPA and class
rank in college admissions. Using national
data, Adelman explains why curriculum
is the most accurate indicator of degree
completion and describes how we can
"take advantage of the power of curriculum"
to maintain a racially diverse student
body in selective public universities
and increase degree completion rates
for students of color everywhere, within
the legal restrictions of recent anti-affirmative
action legislation.
In this overview statement from the
President's Report, President Rudenstine
illustrates how the value of diversity
as an essential component of education
has been recognized by higher education
leaders since the mid-18th century,
citing specific examples from Harvard's
own history. This statement reaffirms
Harvard's institutional and historical
commitment and vision for racial diversity
and academic excellence.
The
Educational Value of Diversity,
by Jonathan R. Alger, AAUP associate
counsel and staff liaison for Committee
L on Historically Black Institutions
and the Status of Minorities in the
Profession
Originally published in Academe,
this article addresses the substantive
and legal issues related to diversity.
It looks at racial and ethnic diversity
in guiding institutional mission, employment
practices, admission practices, the
idea of merit, learning outcomes, and
explores the "compelling interest" met
through campus diversity. This is an
excellent article for understanding
the philosophical underpinnings of diversity. |
