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diversity_.pptxDiversity on Campus
Affirmative Action
The Issue
Affirmative Action is becoming an issue on college campuses (Henrichs 712).
Some think the judgment should be left only to race.
Others think this will not make things even.
They think things like income, living areas, and even discipline should be looked at.
An argument about how to keep college campuses diverse is ensuing.
The best way to keep them diverse is to focus on all, rather than on area of struggle.
Race and Ethnicity
Affirmative Action allows minorities to be treated fairly during the admissions and enrollment process.
Colleges are not required to meet a “quota” for minority students (Quinlan).
Affirmative action simply encourages the campus to look at all applicants (Henrichs 715).
Minority students are also qualified, and should be viewed as such.
Img.1 race and ethnicity
Income
Some believe income will also put white at an advantage.
However studies show there are more Caucasians in the United States, at 41.5% than there are African Americans or Latinos, at 25.4% and 26.8% (Quinlan).
Many wonder if focusing only on income would favor Caucasians more than minorities.
More categories need to be included to keep things fair.
Img. average us household income 2013
Living Space
Living space can also skew data.
Low-income white families live in better areas more often than low income minority families.
If living space was allowed to be a part of criteria, even as a part of income, it could still benefit white applicants (Quinlan).
How?
Better neighborhood = a better school system (Henrichs 716)
Discipline
Disciplinary records are often prejudiced.
Minorities, specifically African American students, are disciplined more harshly than Caucasian students.
A disciplinary record is not something that can tell us how a student acted, only what they were punished for.
They are biased, putting white students at an advantage once more.
Why Multiple Categories
If multiple categories favor Caucasians, why does Affirmative Action need them in order to give minorities a fair chance?
Legacies
Loop-holes in Affirmative Action used by many schools
Soft approaches
Caucasians from lower-class
Erasing Diversity
Legacies allow unqualified applicants into schools based on if their parents went there.
If the school reaches capacity, no more students are allowed.
If a legacy is a minority, all the better for the school (Quinlan).
Loopholes in Affirmative Action allow schools to avoid basing enrollment on AA criteria.
Minorities may enroll, but as International students.
Otherwise known as the soft approach.
Why Race/Ethnicity is Important
While income, place of residence, and discipline are all important, they allow for too many loopholes.
Campuses should consider basing Affirmative Action only on race and ethnicity, with other criteria as secondary for consideration.
International students and low-income Caucasians should be welcome, but should not be enrolled based on Affirmative Action.
It defeats what the movement was for.
Works Cited
Henrichs, Peter. "The Effects of Affirmative Action Bans on College Enrollment, Educational Attainment, and the Demographic Composition of Universities." The Review of Economics and Statistics (2012): 712-722. Print.
Quinlan, Casey. "Why We Still Need Affirmative Action Policies In College Admissions." 1 July 2015. http :// thinkprogress.org/education/2015/07/01/3 676124/still-need-affirmative-action-policies- college-admissions/. Electronic. 22 October 2015.
Enrollment, Educational Attainment, and the Demographic Composition of Universities." The Review of Economics and Statistics (2012): 712-722
