The impact of affirmative action bans in graduate fields of study
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Important findings on the impact of banning affirmative action
in higher education were just published in the American Educational Research Journal (AERJ)in Online First. Affirmative action
in university admissions has long been a matter of public debate, and Fisher v.
University of Texas, Austin has placed its use in admissions policy as an issue
before the U.S. Supreme Court. The article, "Understanding the Impact of
Affirmative Action Bans in Different Graduate Fields of Study," presents
the results of a study undertaken by Liliana M. Garces, George Washington
University. Garces examines the effects of affirmative action bans on the
enrollment of students of color across six fields of graduate study in four
states -- California, Florida, Texas, and Washington. The six fields of
graduate study are the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences,
business, education, and humanities.
Garces'
research shows that the impact of affirmative action bans was most pronounced
in engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences, fields in which students
of color already are underrepresented. She encourages educators to reconsider
their admissions practices and consider the benefits of campus diversity for
all students, benefits that include enhanced critical thinking skills, cultural
awareness, civic engagement, and workforce competencies/leadership skills.
In
light of national concerns over underrepresentation of students of color in the
fields of science and engineering, Garces says that banning all affirmative
action considerations in admissions in graduate fields of study has
consequences. "As institutions struggle to increase the representation of
students of color in graduate programs, particularly in STEM fields, the
findings from this study suggest that bans on affirmative action are inhibiting
these efforts. . . . Graduate education programs will need to rise to the
challenge and adopt innovative outreach and recruitment practices and adopt
admissions criteria to help reverse this trend."
Source: American
Educational Research Association (AERA)
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Posted by Unknown
on Friday, January 25, 2013.
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