The author reports on a Supreme Court case that is echoing across the University of Texas at Austin, and for some students, it is personal. Not long after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Abigail Fisher's case against the University of Texas at Austin, a lighthearted joke made the rounds at the Warfield Center for African and African-American…

The homepage of the Project on Fair Representation (POFR) features a smiling photo of Abigail Fisher, the young White woman at the center of "Fisher v. the University of Texas," which could end race as a criterion in university admissions. Edward Blum, founder of POFR, a conservative advocacy group, connected Fisher with Wiley Rein LLP,…

"The first law of unintended consequences is that you can never know what they will be or how far they will reach." Professor Ellis examines the injuries American higher education has sustained through the unintended consequences of diversity. (Contains 4 footnotes.)

Describes how, during oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court over the University of Michigan's race-conscious admissions policy, several justices indicated that they did not see any viable alternatives to the use of affirmative action in college admissions. (EV)

Reviews hidden assumptions within the concept of reverse discrimination (e.g., racial and gender discrimination is a thing of the past), reviewing what is known about how affirmative action affects Whites. To the extent that affirmative action negatively impacts Whites, the article suggests substituting the more neutral term of "reduced…

Describes how several key advocacy groups, working together, have played key roles in bringing the issue of race in college admissions to the Supreme Court. (EV)

This book examines the law and politics surrounding the Bakke case ("Regents of the University of California v. Bakke") and discusses the key arguments presented by both sides in the context of the current eroding public support for affirmative action. The goal is to elucidate the dynamics of U.S. Supreme Court decision making and…

Affirmative action in hiring black and Hispanic college faculty is still controversial and has still not achieved its objectives. Even some middle-class black professors who have benefited from the policy oppose it. Misconceptions about the function of affirmative action persists; to some, it connotes preferential treatment and racial quotas. (MSE)

The United States Supreme Court has had a significant role in the exploration and definition of affirmative action in this country. No more so than in the recent decisions related to the University of Michigan admissions cases. This article will explore the historical role of the U.S. Supreme Court and the decisions that this entity has made in…

Increasingly those working with affirmative action efforts at the graduate and professional level are considering the importance of early identification of career and educational goals. They are also considering the importance of using those motivational factors that overcome academic handicaps that may arise from school and home environments.…

The University of Texas law school's race-based admissions process triggered the boldest judicial statement addressing affirmative action since 1978. Colleges and universities throughout the country must now look at student diversity on a student-by-student basis and without reference to racial classifications. Admissions offices failing to comply…

A federal court decision, Podberesky vs. Kirwin, in which a University of Maryland scholarship program targeting African American students was found to be racially discriminatory is a cause for concern because of heightened federal pressure to desegregate colleges and because of its possible implications for other state universities. (MSE)

Describes the effects of affirmative action on hiring practices in federal agencies dealing with American Indian issues. Indicates that the policy of Indian preference in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS), begun during the mid-1960s, has had serious negative repercussions for personnel standards. (AF)

In 1997, the Center for Individuals' Rights filed two lawsuits against the University of Michigan on behalf of two White plaintiffs who believed they were denied admission due to racial preferences. The diversity rationale, Michigan's counter-argument, underscored the links between racial diversity and institutional mission but rejected social…

Relates the personal experiences of six minority journalists with different racial backgrounds and work experiences to illustrate how affirmative action programs and related initiatives have acted as a catalyst in minority hiring practices in mainstream daily newspapers. (LS)