| Colleges and universities across the nation | | | | Promoting racial diversity in higher education is a |
| approach enrollment diversity in many different | | | | complicated endeavor, as justice Ginsburg noted: |
| ways. Some schools actively seek to diversify | | | | "It's very hard for me to see how you can have |
| their student body, while other schools maintain | | | | a racial objective, but a non-racial means to get |
| that academic excellence should be the most | | | | there." |
| important factor when considering a student for | | | | Along these lines, the American Civil Rights |
| admission. | | | | Coalition--a group that has been called |
| Currently, the University System of Maryland | | | | "anti-affirmative action" is investigating the |
| Board of Regents is considering the role that | | | | admissions policies in Arizona, and 8 other states. |
| diversity plays in higher education. Recently, at a | | | | An ASU spokeswoman stated that ''A student's |
| forum on diversity in Maryland, many influential | | | | ethnic background has never been used as a |
| members of the state education system met to | | | | factor in determining admittance to ASU,'', she |
| discuss how Maryland is dealing with diversity in | | | | also declared that academic qualifications are the |
| higher education. Dan Mote, University of Maryland | | | | sole criterion for admissions. |
| President, Brit Kirwan, university system | | | | Conversely--in an attempt to increase diversity in |
| chancellor, and others expressed concern | | | | the student body--the University of Wisconsin has |
| regarding diversity in the state of Maryland: | | | | decided to include race as a factor in the |
| "There's no silver bullet for this problem. It's not a | | | | admissions process. |
| one-problem, one-program, one-idea kind of | | | | As Dan Mote expressed, the problem of racial |
| problem. There are just a lot of pieces to this.... | | | | diversity in higher education is much more deeply |
| We have a lot of programs supporting people | | | | rooted than the admissions process. The mere |
| from disadvantaged circumstances and, of course, | | | | fact that the pool of qualified applicants is not in |
| minority enrollment and diversity and all of these | | | | proportion with the racial constitution of a given |
| issues," Mote said. The university's minority | | | | population is a good indication that there is a more |
| programs provide "a lot of opportunities to | | | | deeply-rooted problem. |
| implement ideas," Mote said, adding that this | | | | Unfortunately this point brings the argument full |
| university will work with the USM in developing | | | | circle; how can we change racial diversity in higher |
| initiatives that target black males.' 1 | | | | education without using racial qualifiers to achieve |
| A diverse student body in higher education is | | | | these goals? |
| important to different schools for different | | | | Perhaps we need to revisit the larger issue: should |
| reasons. In Maryland, officials expressed concern | | | | promoting diversity be considered reverse |
| that if minority access to higher education is not | | | | discrimination? |
| improved, the future of the state may be at | | | | Want to learn more about Enrollment |
| stake; "because if the growing minority population | | | | Management? Click here to sign up for the |
| doesn't receive an adequate higher education, the | | | | Innovation Ads Enrollment Management |
| state's workforce will dwindle and the economy | | | | Whitepaper. |
| will suffer." | | | | |