Many countries mandate affirmative action in university admissions for traditionally disadvantaged groups. Little is known about either the efficacy or costs of these programs. This paper examines affirmative action in engineering colleges in India for "lower-caste" groups. We find that it successfully targets the financially…

Programs that serve underrepresented minority students have long faced many challenges. Prior to the late 1970s, higher education institutions reserved academic program slots for underrepresented minority students because these students had limited access to opportunities that afforded them credentials that their white counterparts could more…

The planning process and results of a three-year minority student recruitment process in a school of social work are described, including effective tasks and strategies. The recruitment and retention effort consisted of six phases: gauging the environment, preinitiation, program planning and development, implementation, evaluation, and…

A study of the fairness and utility of race-conscious academic support services offered at law schools finds that law schools should increase academic support for nontraditional students. A University of Oregon program is used to illustrate the potential for program success. (MSE)

In response to Federal and State laws that prohibit employment discrimination, the California State Personnel Board (SPB) instituted a series of programs and projects designed to overcome underrepresentation and underutilization of minority group members and women in civil service jobs. A subcommittee of the California Advisory Committee to the…

Explores the concept of "effective help" in affirmative action to remove the stigma of branding policy recipients as being "preferentially selected" and implying a lack of ability. Argues that help must conform to societal values and that, if it is directed toward removing discriminatory barriers, it does not produce these…

This document presents the conclusions and recommendations of a study conducted to explain the inequalities faced by low-income women in job training, employment, and earnings. The study explored the dimensions of the problems such women face, possible solutions, and the extent to which a group of Health Education and Welfare (HEW) and HEW-related…

Examines the impact of affirmative action as to whether the consequences of discrimination have been eliminated and whether measures are in place to prevent discrimination from occurring in the future. Argues that affirmative action has been partially successful, but its ultimate goal has not been reached. Some concerns and limitations in…

The University of Wisconsin, in the third year of a high-profile drive to increase minority enrollments, is having difficulty reaching its goals despite realistic goals and appropriate efforts. Competition for a limited minority population among the state's private and public colleges and universities is intense, and racial tension persists. (MSE)

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…

Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has developed a series of minority science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) programs to address the growing need for students receiving college and advanced degrees in science-based career fields and the underrepresentation of minorities in these fields. The goals of the SEM programs are to interest more women…

This report is a response to a congressional mandate to study racial and ethnic discrimination in federally-assisted programs for older persons. The two-phase study includes a case study analysis of selected cities to assess whether minorities are employed in federal programs for older persons and the extent to which older minorities receive…

In 1984, Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) received an Urban Community College Transer Opportunity Program (UCCTOP) grant to develop a successful transition model to encourage minority student enrollment at MDCC, North Campus, to improve minority students' success in transferring to four-year institutions, and to improve the retention rate of…

A federally funded project at the University of Alabama, Project Growth, was developed in response to the need for more participation by women and minorities in educational research and leadership. The project emphasizes both professional and personal growth experiences, with broad exposure to a variety of research topics. A comprehensive,…

This four-part report describes a federally funded program at the University of Alabama which provided postgraduate personal and professional development activities to women and minority group scholars. The goals of Project Growth are described: (1) to provide opportunities for advanced study and research of significant educational problems; (2)…