Ace Report: Minorities in Higher Education

The percentage of both Women and Asian Americans obtaining a BA has risen within the last twenty years. What factors do you perceive to be the cause of this change (ie socioeconomic factors, the economy)?

 

What is College For? The Purpose of Higher Education

The “traditional” college student of one who has just freshly graduated from high school has changed due to several reasons, including the cost of tuition. Do you believe that this change of the traditional college student to be a beneficial or detrimental change to our economy and the future of higher education? Explain.

 

The implementation of a liberal arts curriculum has declined severely within the last few years. Is liberal arts knowledge crucial in the world we live in today? Do you believe this decline to be part of the knowledge that the payoff of majoring in the Arts and Humanities has declined in the last few years to be part of this change?

 

There has been an argument that most students who enter college are not “college material” and that “graduate degrees are not worth much.” What can we do to fix this?

 

Funding has more and more been given out on the basis of merit. As the current economy has cut millions from higher education budgets, how can colleges cater themselves more for students who do not necessarily meet the basis of merit but still want to go to college?

 

Grutter v. Bollinger Wikipedia Article

Grutter v. Bollinger upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School. However, this case sparked a lot of concern over the status of higher education and its role in admitting minority students. Do you believe that this case had the right ruling of prolonging affirmative action? Or should they have just ended it then because they are now having multiple court cases that are trying to overturn this ruling?

 

Justice O’Connor’s Deadline

Colleges clearly want to maintain “black admission,” but the “white average was higher than the black average” on multiple SAT tests over the last ten years. What can educators do to ameliorate this gap?

 

Michigan: Who Really Won?

Colleges want affirmative action to maintain diversity with the argument of higher education being courageous. Are there other means for higher education to maintain its diversity and courage? Please list and explain.

 

Post Michigan: How Minority Enrollment Has Changed and U. of Michigan Will Use Application Essays to Help Enroll Diverse Undergraduate Class

The new enrollment policy in the University of Michigan was the implementation of application essays. The problem is that the applicants do not know how to write these essays or approach them, again pointing to a problem with their education as opposed to the college’s administration. What can be done to fix this and make minorities more “college ready?”

 

Affirmative Action, Innovation and the Financial Future: A Survey of Presidents

“A full 70 % of presidents surveyed agreed or strongly agreed with that statement that the consideration of race in admissions has had a ‘mostly positive effect on higher education generally.’” Now, this statement can be taken many ways. Do you believe, after reading this article, that these presidents mean this honestly or because a greater, more diverse student body means more money coming in from both the government and from donors? Look at how the presidents rated themselves and their opinions about MOOCs for a clearer picture.

 

Essay on Significance of Supreme Court case on affirmative action

This article introduced the condition statement of “as long as Grutter remains good law.” Do you believe that is was good law in the context of race-conscious admissions practices?

 

Some Universities Use Race as a Factor. That Could Change.

The argument made in this article from a few weeks ago is that using race as an admissions factor is wrong and that the attention should now shift to merit. Do you believe that this should be the new shift?

 

The World New II

This article is clearly laced with the opinions of the reporter. What is your opinion of the Fisher v. U. Texas case? Should it have been picked up by the courts, let alone the Supreme Court, in the first place?

 

The Supreme Court Just Doubled Down on Affirmative Action

Do you think Abigail Fisher was justified in taking her case to court? State your opinion and explain.

Is there any true substance behind her claim? Any true principle?

 

Supreme Court takes another case involving affirmative action and higher education

With the ruling of the Fisher v. U. Texas case coming in June, how would you, if you were a Supreme Court Justice and after reading all of these articles, rule the case?

 

U.S. Supreme Court takes on second case of affirmative action, college admissions (poll)

“Americans value diversity, but they value fairness more,” said in regards to affirmative action.

Is this statement true? Give historical events/rulings to validate your opinion.

Michigan Votes Down Affirmative Action

How does affirmative action truly implicate the status of gay rights in America? Give multiple examples to support your claim.

 

Retreat on Affirmative Action, Proxies for Race, and The Data Plan

Is it necessary to block Proposition 2? Are there other ways for a college to promote diversity?

 

Short Term Reprieve for Affirmative Action and Century Foundation report advocates class-based affirmative action

Academic freedom is not explicitly stated in our constitution, but the Supreme Court basically made it a right in a ruling in 1957. Do you believe affirmative action directly falls under academic freedom?

 

Is there validity, in your opinion, in the argument that indirectly creating racial diversity is less efficient and less effective than simply considering race in admissions? Provide proof.

 

Delay of Affirmative Action Ban Rejected and Appeals Court overturns Michigan ban on affirmative action

Michigan universities were ordered to stop using affirmative action in admissions immediately. How did this affect the admissions cycle and future ones?

 

Access and Success, Attacking the “Mismatch” Critique of Affirmative Action, and Affirmative Action and University Fit

Can there be a commitment to access without affecting completion rates for minority students? Take in the policies of California, the idea that “affirmative action influences which schools African American students attend, but has only small effects on whether these students attend…,” the theory of “mismatching” and how UC campuses responded to Prop 209 by trying to help more of its students graduate.