The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has established a policy that a graduate of a Georgia high school should be given the opportunity to attempt a college education in the University System. The Special Studies Program was organized to facilitate this ideal. The fundamental objectives of the program are to: (1) provide greater…

The use of nontraditional college admission variables in the prediction of academic success was assessed with 444 freshmen entering the University of California, Davis, under the Special Action process (wavering of admission requirements). For fall 1978, 1979, 1980 special entrants, attention was directed to college applications, including high…

The academic fate of students from different ethnic groups under open admissions at City University of New York is examined. Three central questions are addressed: (1) Who came and how was the ethnic composition of the university affected by open admissions? (2) To what degree did different parts of the university become ethnically integrated? (3)…

This paper examines the unique make-up of selective colleges as opposed to those with open admission policies, variances in individual colleges, and how Upward Bound students can be prepared for selective colleges. Some orientations of selective colleges have been described as realistic, scientific, enterprising, and conventional. All of these…

As the decision in the Bakke case drew near, Chicanos addressed the question of what they and higher education could do to insure increased minority admissions into graduate and professional schools. Commonly suggested proposals of changing formal admissions criteria and direct intervention by the law and government often cause more problems than…

The political dynamics surrounding the adoption of an open admissions policy at the City University of New York (CUNY) are discussed. Analysis of the case of CUNY also provides a basis for considering the politics of structural change in American higher education. It is suggested that when Chancellor Albert Bowker took office in 1963, he followed…

The three case studies in this report describe state-level efforts to address diversity and equity in postsecondary institutions in California, Maryland, and Washington. A preface provides some background on affirmative action programs, litigation history, and the roles of state coordinating agencies and institutional governing boards. The…

A bibliography of articles by Alexander W. Astin on the social psychology of higher education is presented. Entries are presented by year, starting with 1980 and dating back to 1956. Topics that are covered include: equal access to higher education, student persistence and attrition, higher education policy, selective admissions and open…