When the author proposed a spring course on major topics in African-American history, drawing a large enrollment was her chief concern. She had previously taught the course under a different title at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a campus with a sizable African-American presence among students and faculty members. She now teaches…

This article presents an interview with Ronald Takaki, a prolific and respected author and a successful teacher who wrote a number of important histories that explore the cultural diversity of the United States of America, including "From Different Shores: Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America" (1994), "Strangers from a…

While colleges and legal analysts are focusing on what to do in the post-Hopwood world, some of us are still asking whether a move away from affirmative action was a prudent move from the beginning. Is it fair for society to move away from supporting students who have not had an equitable chance at the educational brass ring just because, in most…

Discusses waning political support for affirmative action in higher education in light of recent court decisions and the passage of California Proposition 209, focusing on the role of the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA) in defending affirmative action. AAAA members note the need to explain the history of past discrimination to…

A supporter of affirmative action in California sees attackers as mean-spirited and practicing wedge politics. He stresses its legality and opposes a proposed California Civil Rights initiative. An opponent criticizes affirmative action, noting practical difficulties in application and its opposition to American values of fairness. He defends the…

California's Proposition 209, dismantling affirmative-action policy, has chilled race relations in the state, provided a road map for groups with similar agendas in other states, and challenged higher education to find alternative paths to justice for women and people of color. Recent experience has shown that more selective institutions have…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints series challenge readers to question their own opinions and assumptions. By reading carefully balanced views, readers confront new ideas on the topic of interest. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited job discrimination based on age, race, religion, gender, or national origin, provided the groundwork for…

The policy statement on contract faculty employment presented in this document was adopted by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges as a model conforming to the provisions of Assembly Bill (AB) 1725. The statement includes sections on hiring philosophy, affirmative action, position identification, search procedures, selection…

Affirmative action addresses disparities in higher education. Recent trends threaten gains, resegregation is underway nationally. California outlawed affirmative action, the quality of K-12 education is declining, and prison construction is soaring. African American and Latino participation in higher education has declined; both groups are…

The policy statement on contract faculty employment presented in this document was adopted by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges as a model conforming to the provisions of Assembly Bill (AB) 1725. The document contains sections addressing: (1) the college's philosophy regarding part-time faculty hiring; (2) affirmative action…

This paper examines the extent to which women have attained administrative positions in California community colleges, highlights barriers to women's advancement and methods of overcoming them, and profiles the female college administrator. After citing the low incidence of female community college administrators and the increasing visibility of…

Despite the efforts of the California Community Colleges (CCCs) during the past 15 years to increase the enrollment and employment of ethnic minorities and women, the data today reveal that the CCCs have no better representation of these groups in 1986 than they had in 1970. To address this issue, the Board of Governors of the CCCs and the…

Selfishness has spawned a new breed of racism, driven by fear, fed by scarcity, and manifested through economic imperatives. California's Proposition 187 and Herrnstein and Murray's book "The Bell Curve" are built on racist foundations. Our current obsession with race is driven by an economy and an elitist social system that is…

Student Affirmative Action (SAA) outreach programs to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities and the economically disadvantaged in higher education in California started with little or no coordination and scant thought of evaluation. For a variety of reasons, which include how they were planned, how they are staffed and…

Analyzes the status of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in higher education compared to their representation in chief executive positions, describing a glass ceiling effect and common stereotypes regarding APAs. Reviews characteristics of chief executive officers in California community colleges. Provides strategies for increasing APA representation…