Discusses the concerns of policy makers about criteria for inclusion in affirmative action policies, explaining that the historical record of affirmative action offers little guidance for action today. Examines early minority designations, the making of official U.S. minorities, minority capitalism, affirmative action college admissions, who was…

A performance audit examined immediate, intermediate, and long-range effects of two minority graduate fellowship programs sponsored by the state of Illinois, the Illinois Minority Graduate Incentive Program (IMGIP) and the Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP). Findings show the diversification of minority doctoral study…

Examines data from University of California Berkeley minority alumni who considered themselves affirmative action students, investigating themes from alumni interviews that addressed their academic experiences, factors influencing success, and perceptions of affirmative action's impact. Respondents believed that affirmative action worked, and its…

The recent legal challenges to affirmative action in higher education illustrate that moral arguments, such as that affirmative action compensates for past wrongs, no longer justify it. So proponents of affirmative action have changed strategies and now use social science to prove the necessity of affirmative action. This article situates the…

Affirmative action addresses disparities in higher education. Recent trends threaten gains, resegregation is underway nationally. California outlawed affirmative action, the quality of K-12 education is declining, and prison construction is soaring. African American and Latino participation in higher education has declined; both groups are…

Using administrative data from the University of California at San Diego, the author explicitly identifies and studies students admitted under affirmative action programs. On average, these students earned grade point averages (GPAs) 0.30 points lower than those of nonaffirmative students. The difference in graduation rates is larger, with 57% of…

In "Grutter vs. Bollinger," the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the use of race as one factor, among many in admissions decisions is constitutional. It is not known, however, whether future legal opinions will continue to uphold the use of affirmative action policies. Some have argued that class-based preferences can achieve many of the same goals…

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…

Attacks on the legitimacy of affirmative action pose new challenges for public universities committed to creating a diverse student population without considering race or ethnicity as factors in admissions. On the basis of a case study of the controversy surrounding the building of a charter school at the University of California, San Diego, in…

In this article, the author states that The University of Michigan has been at the forefront of efforts to create a campus learning environment in which all students, faculty, and staff feel respected and valued. In two widely publicized cases decided in 2003, the university defended its affirmative action policies before the U.S. Supreme Court on…

Preceded by recent affirmative action rulings, the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in "Brown v. Board of Education" (1954) came during a time of legal retreat away from addressing racial issues. Rather than resolve America's race problems, the history and modern structure of "Brown" and other higher education desegregation cases…

The Principal's Legal Handbook contains information and recommendations for practice in four areas. Section 1, "Students and the Law," yields interesting and informative answers on a number of issues related to students and the law: recent issues in schools relative to students' rights; the use of technology; and the latest case law and…

America has two conflicting visions of equality. The first evolved during the American Revolution through the 1960s, which is identified with the phrase "equality of opportunity." The second vision, advanced since the 1960s, embraces the concept of affirmative action to redress social injustices. In an attempt to reach accord on these conflicting…

This handbook presents findings of a survey that asked human-resources managers to identify current barriers preventing women and people of color from reaching senior management. The survey was sent to 902 human-resources managers at various organizations. A total of 304 surveys were returned, a 34 percent response rate. The managers gave support…

This report examines the affirmative action attitudes of 204,103 college freshmen from 473 colleges and universities nationwide and from four racial/ethnic groups: Whites, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Mexican Americans. The study addresses how and why student support for affirmative action in higher education admissions depends on how…