The purpose of this historical examination is to first understand the context of United States affirmative action legislation and its importance. It provides a spotlight on Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) during the civil rights movement and what led to the creation of policies that would forever impact the institutional makeup of IUB.…

This paper addresses critical issues related to student support and how different departments define inclusivity for graduate students in the context of American higher education. A four-framed, comprehensive, tripartite model is provided to guide institutions by assisting graduate school administrators, who are charged with improving…

It will come as no surprise to most admission professionals that enrollment pressures related to the economic downturn of the last five years have placed American postsecondary education in the middle of a spinning plate, slipping and sliding as it tries to accommodate more students with fewer financial resources from federal and state…

The United States Department of Education (ED) and the United States Department of Justice issued this guidance to explain how, consistent with existing law, postsecondary institutions can voluntarily consider race to further the compelling interest of achieving diversity. It replaces the August 28, 2008 letter issued by ED's Office for Civil…

It has been almost five years since Michigan voters chose to ban race-conscious programs from state-funded institutions. The impact of the decision was swift and painful for many, particularly in the state's public higher education landscape. Minority enrollment in public colleges--which was already low--plummeted in many categories as…

Increased academic attention has been drawn to democratisation in higher education, following the implementation of affirmative action in America. However, the models of Access policies presented by certain European educational systems deserve more attention. France and Britain share a common position on elitism, although they define it according…

Those involved in higher education understand that the admissions process has less to do with rewarding each student's past performance--although high performance is clearly essential--than it does with building a community of diverse learners who will thrive together and teach one another. Reports have noted that many leading public universities…

Ranked purely on the basis of the available reliable and valid measures, the demographic composition of incoming medical students fails to meet societal concerns regarding under-represented minorities (URM). Admissions offices are squeezed, administratively and legally, between honouring objectively measured individual merit and addressing…

Attracting minorities to natural resource education programs will require innovative recruitment programs. This article outlines such a program initiated by the Ohio State University's School of Natural Resources. (LHW)

Northeastern University's Torch Scholars Program is designed to seek out first-generation students who would not qualify under the university's regular admissions process. The scholarships go to motivated students who have shown determination in overcoming personal challenges. Northeastern believes the experiment will enhance the socioeconomic…

Reports on increasing efforts of universities, especially those in states where racial preferences in admissions have been outlawed, to recruit more minority students by soliciting transfer students from local community colleges. Some institutions are easing admissions policies for transfer students, holding "diversity fairs," and…

Explores enrollment of underrepresented minority students in dental schools. Describes challenges to affirmative action, major minority recruitment programs, where minorities are enrolled, the Opportunities for Minority Students in U.S. Dental Schools (OMSUSDS) report, and American Dental Education Association (ADEA) strategies to enhance…

Capitalizing on the ban on affirmative action in college admissions in Texas, a number of out-of-state colleges are aggressively recruiting in that state and offering generous financial aid packages. Oklahoma was one of the first states to do so. For many students, financial aid makes the difference in college attendance. (MSE)

This second volume of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Student Affirmative Action (SAA) Five-Year Plan contains the complete student affirmative action plans as submitted by 33 academic and administrative units at UCI. The volume is organized by type of unit: academic units, academic retention units, outreach units, and student life…

An update of the University of California, Irvine, Student Affirmative Action (SAA) plan is presented for 1985-1986. SAA activities planned by both academic and administrative units are covered, such as activities designed to: stimulate greater student involvement, establish clearer life goals and career linkages, enhance cultural awareness, and…