Defends affirmative action and explains its historical principles in order to dispel myths surrounding the program. Discusses the pervasiveness of inequality in society and discusses ways that decision makers in higher education can respond to critics of affirmative action. Examines college admission needs and the current legal and political…

Interviewed five people on campuses across the country who play different roles within higher education and who have different perspectives on affirmative action. Looks at how these persons conceptualize affirmative action, the program's economic issues, the value of diversity, the effects of affirmative action on campuses, and the questions…

Analyzes why it is important for developmental educators to keep up to date on recent court challenges to diversity. Argues that access to higher education for those who have not traditionally had access is a key element of the developmental education mission. Developmental education programs promote diversity by providing access to…

Addresses the question of why there is a decrease in college participation by blacks and whether this indicates that American society is becoming more racist. It explains how low expectations about going to college can negatively affect secondary school performance and how government policies contributed to those expectations. (GR)

Examines how the University of California has addressed the problem of differential access for minorities and longstanding inconsistencies between its admissions practices and mission. Argues that the university's recent retreat from affirmative action signals a departure from its earlier emphasis on providing greater access to higher education…

While policy-makers and educational administrators decry the underrepresentation of African American students in institutions of higher education, groups like the Center for Individual Rights (CIR) work to limit African American presence on campuses even more. While innovative programmers build programs that will attract African American students…

In July 1995, the University of California's Board of Regents voted to ban consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions and employment--a ban that was extended to all state agencies when the voters of California approved Proposition 209 in November 1996. This paper discusses the national controversy over affirmative action and analyzes the…

With an aim to contributing additional information to the public debate about affirmative action, this report discusses the distribution of federal resources from the Department of Education for programs intended to bring about access and opportunity to underrepresented groups in higher education, specifically allocation of such funding to…

The passage of California's Proposition 187 has mandated political and cultural debate in composition curriculum thus exploding the de-politicized composition classroom myth. As this anti-immigration initiative of 1994 applied to education, it most directly affected K-12, but it also represented a huge financial impact to higher education. It made…

The issue of discrimination against Asian-Americans in higher education is discussed. The focus is on: whether certain of the country's most prestigious universities discriminate against Asian-American applicants; why this occurs; and what university officials, executive branch administrators, and members of Congress can do about it. Suspicions…

The role of professional associations in facilitating minority access to graduate and professional education is addressed. Information on minority applications, financial aid, recruitment, and support activities was requested from 29 associations; 16 responded. The general posture of the associations appears to be limited to expressions of support…

This policy interpretation encourages institutions of higher education to continue and expand voluntary affirmative action programs to increase their enrollment of minority groups members and to attain a diverse student body. It identifies permissible techniques to achieve these objectives consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…

The Reagan administration has retreated from bipartisan commitment to civil rights enforcement. It has initiated hardly any enforcement action in education and has failed to support even voluntary desegregation efforts. It has opposed affirmative action in employment. Inaction has been especially pronounced in the field of housing discrimination.…

This article describes affirmative development, a concept designed to complement colloquial notions of affirmative action, which emphasizes the creation and enhancement of competence in addition to the more traditional emphasis on the equitable reward of competence. In 1903 and 1958, W.E.B. DuBois examined whether 20th century problems related to…

In a "Stanford Law Review" article, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) law professor Richard Sander claimed to statistically prove that affirmative action at American law schools actually depressed the number of African Americans who become lawyers by "mismatching" them at schools where they were in over their heads academically. This…