Describes the benefits of racially diverse student bodies at law schools. A diverse legal profession enhances the appearance of justice and increases public confidence that the system is unbiased and accessible to all. Citizens cannot respect a system of justice that appears to perpetuate prejudice and exclude certain people from its…

Describes use of faculty focus groups to develop strategies to increase the representation of women in senior levels of the medical faculty at Monash University (Australia). The approach resulted in "faculty ownership" of affirmative action and an implementation plan that has high priority and incorporates various stakeholder groups.…

Discusses a study conducted by W. G. Bowen and D. Bok that develops hard empirical evidence about the benefits of using race-sensitive admissions to selective higher education. The database on which this study rests includes more than 80,000 undergraduates from 28 selective institutions. (SLD)

Examines the growing body of literature for and against affirmative action. The author includes articles and books that chronicle the history of affirmative action and the backlash against it, personal narratives by blacks experiencing affirmative action programs firsthand, and two books that discuss India's attempts since 1948 to address the…

Emphasizing the value of difference may protect affirmative action while reinforcing inequalities. While education shows great concern for multiple perspectives, it uses diversity to preserve affirmative action. Though research indicates diversity has educational value, its use of prevailing academic practices reinforces the status quo. The main…

Presents a post-colonial reading of affirmative action (AA) policies in Fiji, arguing that AA was a deliberate response by various predominantly indigenous Fijian post-colonial governments to counter the effects of a discriminatory colonial history that produced significant educational and employment inequality. Analyzes the mixed outcomes of AA…

Describes some hurdles disadvantaged minority students face when seeking admission to college, such as high cost and early admission programs. Suggests several ways schools can help these students, for example, providing a demanding curriculum, improving guidance, and stressing early awareness. (PKP)

Examines current support for the further racial integration of U.S. black colleges, focusing on whether black colleges may be permitted to adopt race-sensitive recruiting and admissions policies specifically calculated to identify, attract, and enroll white students. Highlights the danger of framing a general prohibition that will deny black…

Discusses a comprehensive approach to racial inclusion in education, highlighting the inclusion process undertaken at one South African university during the post-apartheid era and examining this experience for possible lessons to be learned by U.S. postsecondary institutions. Suggested strategies for racial inclusion must consider developing…

In the 1980s, a Republican president led a defense build-up in response to foreign crises, and his education secretary, chided the establishment on school reform. Legal experts debated the merits of affirmative action, while advocates questioned the growing reliance of students on loans instead of grants to finance a college education. Sound…

The White Paper Success for All set out a vision to transform post compulsory education in the United Kingdom. A key theme was "Developing the leaders, teachers, trainers and support staff of the future," reflecting a belief that leadership is one of the key elements in achieving the national vision. Alongside this positive affirmation…

Newark, New Jersey, once called "The Worst American City," is a city that has lost 36 percent of its population since 1930 (from 442,000 to 280,000) and is now more than half black and nearly 40 percent poor. It is a city, reported the "New York Times," where "budgeting is a Rube Goldberg morass with a deficit…

This article concerns an issue that often remains implicit within the public debate about affirmative action and related race-conscious education policies: What role do contested moral ideals play in the disagreement about affirmative action? As background, the article first outlines what a moral disagreement is and then goes on to examine the…

After more than five decades of racial integration and four decades of affirmative action, most of the nation's colleges and universities have not come close to eliminating the performance gap that separates many black, Hispanic, and Native American students from their white and Asian-American counterparts. Although some colleges say they are…

This SPEC kit presents the results of a survey which determined employment practices of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries in 1990 in the areas of cultural diversity, minority recruitment, and affirmative action. Categories surveyed in the area of minority recruitment include hiring activities, advertising available…