Examines history of discrimination within U.S. agricultural programs, specifically in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Compares USDA employment and grant allocations for Blacks and Whites since Civil Rights Act of 1964. Cites other examples of institutional discrimination in federal agriculture programs. Calls for development of policy…

Examines the ineffectiveness of search and screen committees in hiring for professional positions in academic libraries. Alternatives such as automating various parts of the process, group interviews, and assessment centers are considered; and educating all staff in interviewing skills and increasing their participation in the search and screen…

A nontraditional Master's degree program in educational administration at South Dakota State University was designed to encourage participation by women and minorities. Twenty-four women completed the two-year program, which featured weekend classes, reduced tuition, and special courses focusing on instructional leadership, administrative vision,…

Affirmative action was a strategy adopted by an expansionist federal government to hasten integration, meant to be temporary and thought to be innocent. It has become a system of racial preferences and should be ended. It is unconstitutional, is inappropriate for the complex racial distribution in this country, promotes racial resentment and…

Different groups have had different experiences under affirmative action, and it is time to rethink the meaning of the policy for its intended beneficiaries. For White women and Asian Americans, policies should now focus on increasing upward mobility and advancement within institutions once entry has been gained. For Blacks, Latinos, and Native…

Describes an analysis of the consequences of abandoning race as a factor in law school admissions. Addresses the importance of student diversity in the context of legal education. Analysis of data for 90,335 students shows that without consideration of race, the most selective U.S. law schools would be unable to enroll more than a few minority…

African-American head coaches among the 112 Division I-A football institutions now number only five, which is attributed to the decline of affirmative action and related policy, and despite lobbying efforts of the Black Coaches Association. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is also working on the problem. The American Football Coaches…

Lawrence Hardy's lead article details a year of diminished expectations, highlighting teacher shortages, failing teacher competency scores, 12th graders' dismal TIMSS scores, affirmative-action setbacks, and Milwaukee voucher triumphs. Kevin Bushweller probes school violence issues. Others discuss leadership trends, school-success indicators, and…

Presents survey responses from over 1,000 black alumni of seven prestigious colleges and universities to determine whether college-educated, middle- and upper-class blacks are the most alienated, radicalized, and disenchanted group of African Americans. Comments from some responders on the benefits afforded blacks who "know their place"…

Subgroup differences are expected on traditional knowledge, skill, ability, and achievement tests. Considers actions to reduce differences and fairly assess individual attributes. Suggests that selection materials assess the full range of relevant attributes using a format that minimizes verbal content as much as is appropriate. Recommends using…

Proposes and tests an affective model of policy reasoning with television use as a first stage variable in a heuristic causal chain. Tests the power of the model to explain how citizens (undergraduate students) make up their minds regarding government policies on affirmative action, with stereotypes of African Americans as the second stage,…

The 1996 presidential elections will be, in part, a referendum on affirmative action, with partisan battle lines drawn. When the issue is framed for the voter as a choice between group equality or individual merit, affirmative action loses. Recent history suggests that a majority of Americans reject explicit group preferences. (SLD)

Presents a brief historical summary of affirmative action, examines its practices, and explores its future prospects. The article argues that the way out of the racial isolation brought about by the success of middle-class racial integration is to practice affirmative action on the basis of class rather than race, that is, equality of opportunity.…

Assesses the possible impact on academia of the Hopwood decision in which the U.S. Court of Appeals ordered the University of Texas to stop considering race as a factor in making its admission decisions. The author explains how race-blind admissions threaten private universities' ability to pursue affirmative action policies as allowed pursuant to…

Originally published in May 1979, analyzes the six different positions in the "Bakke" case to gain an understanding of the final decision in light of the issues that were considered by the Supreme Court. Discusses implications for admission, financial aid, and affirmative action programs. (Author/GCP)