Assignment 3

Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION 2

HIGHER EDUCATION 2

The Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Title V, Gratz v. Bollinger, and Grutter v. Bollinger

Student’s Name

Course Code

Institution Affiliation

Date

The Morrill Land-Grant Acts had the most significant positive impact on students' access to higher education. This is because this act made it possible for the new states in the west to put up colleges for their students. The institutions that were established gave a chance to a lot of farmers and other working-class people who could not previously access higher education. Since the land was the most readily available resource, it was given for these states to establish colleges. According to Christy (2017), even though some individuals misused the earnings from those lands, the Morrill land-grant Act gave the foundation of a national system of state colleges and universities. Finances from the lands even helped existing institutions, helped build new institutions, and other states were able to charter new schools. 

Grutter v. Bollinger & Gratz v. Bollinger had the most influence in shaping how higher education institutions recruit and retain students from diverse backgrounds. This is because this ruling recognizes the benefits of diversity in education and validates any reasonable means which can be used to achieve that diversity. The verdict is even supported by a lot of studies which show that student body diversity promotes learning outcomes, and 'better prepares students for an increasingly diverse workforce and society…'" (The Civil Rights Project, 2010). Grutter vs. Bollinger laid a foundation for the diversity we see today in universities and colleges. Garces (2012) asserts that in our current world, which is diverse, access to higher education is what determines our legitimacy and strength. This all has been made possible by the Grutter v. Bollinger & Gratz v. Bollinger. The ruling helped break down stereotypes and for students to understand others from different races. 

References

Christy, R. D. (2017). A century of service: Land-grant colleges and universities, 1890-1990. Routledge.

Garces, L. M. (2012). Necessary but not sufficient: The impact of Grutter v. Bollinger on student of color enrollment in graduate and professional schools in Texas. The Journal of Higher Education, 83(4), 497-534.

The Civil Rights Project (2010). Grutter v. Bollinger & Gratz v. Bollinger: Statement Analyzing the Implications of Supreme Court's Decisions for Higher Education. Retrieved from  https://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/legal-developments/court-decisions/researchers-at-the-civil-rights-project-issue-statement-analyzing-the-implications-of-supreme-courts-decisions-for-higher-education