Affirmative Action And Admissions Policies Essay - 2002 Words

Affirmative action has historically been utilized to ameliorate past injustices endured by minorities of color. In 1978 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled race may be considered when used amongst several factors, as part of university admissions policies (Regents of the University of California v Bakke, 1978). The Supreme Court opinion allowed postsecondary institutions to incorporate affirmative action policies into their admission process. Ever since the Bakke decision affirmative action has been challenged in court. However, the Supreme Court has constantly ruled affirmative action permissible when used in a holistic manner. In the meantime, several states have banned affirmative action policies via legislation or voter initiatives. These states include Texas, California, Florida, Washington, Michigan, Nebraska, Arizona, and Oklahoma. In 2014, Hersch found â€Å". . . the probability of earning a graduate or professional degree from any institution is strongly influenc ed by the status of undergraduate institution† (2014, p.2). Hersch’s findings are important in context as much of the following research explores the link between affirmative action and admission to prestigious universities. Overall, this paper examines the effects of affirmative action bans on students of color and how their chances of enrolling in graduate school may be negatively impacted. Literature Review Alon and Tienda (2007) set out to explore two concepts. First, examine the post-secondaryShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action: Prejudice in the College Admissions Process941 Words   |  4 Pagesthe college admissions process in the case of Fisher v. University of Texas. Since then, affirmative action has become a big issue in the media; however, many people still do not even know what affirmative action is. Affirmative action is a policy to prevent discrimination on the basis of â€Å"color, religion, sex, or national origin.† Overall, it favors minorities that are often discriminated. It might sound like an excellent policy; however, the use of this policy in the college admissions process isRead MoreThe Precedency: Supporting the Affrimative Action Essay1486 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative action is a government policy that gives opportunities to minorities, women, and any group who has been the victim of discrimination in the past. Affirmative action is the outcome of th e 1960’s Civil Rights movement, growing out of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It was the 1978 Supreme Court decision, The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which allowed for the use of race-based preferences as a means ofRead MoreAffirmative Action and Higher Education Admissions Essay1664 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Known as one of the biggest obstacles in higher education to date would arguably be the use of affirmative action within the higher education admission process for both private and public institutions (Kaplin Lee, 2014; Wang Shulruf, 2012). The focus of current research is an attempt to either justify or deny the use of affirmative action within current practices through various higher education institutions, and though any one person could potentially be swayed to side withRead MoreCollege Admissions Vs. Affirmative Action1536 Words   |  7 PagesCollege Admissions Race â€Å"Congratulations! You have been granted admissions to one of the most prestigious universities in the world and have been chosen from among hundreds of thousands of applicants to attend our university.† These are the sentences that every high school senior dreams of seeing, however, it has become a more difficult task as the college admissions process has become increasingly competitive. Complicating the admissions situation is the fact that most elite universities give extraRead MoreAffirmative Action : An Unfair Tool For Disadvantaged Minority Students857 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative Action admission policies have been highly criticized since their enactment in the 1960’s. Conservatives see affirmative action as an unfair tool for underachieving minority students rather than a policy to correct past racial inequalities and promote a diverse learning environment. This ideology of affirmative action is portrayed in Jim Huber’s political cartoon, number 1 on the list. Penned for a conservative audience, Huber’s political cartoon argues against affirmative action by suggestingRead MoreLegal Writing1315 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action College Admissions 2 Abstract Affirmative action has been a strong subject of discussion and debate for more than 30 years. Its use in college admissions has even been heard and ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Affirmative action is in essence, a policy or procedure developed by numerous institutions of higher learning to attempt to diversify their student bodies racially and by ethnicity. Looking closer at this procedure will display the advantages and disadvantages ofRead MoreAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Ethnicity Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesLucia Lopez Intro to Philosophy Professor Gill Affirmative Action In â€Å"Arguing Affirmative Action,† Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel discusses the arguments that have arisen from the entry of affirmative action into practice. Affirmative action refers to admission policies, in this case put into effect by universities, that provide equal access to education for groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities. In his essay, Sandel asks whether itRead MoreAffirmative Action Is The Most Important Modern Anti Discrimination1578 Words   |  7 PagesColumbia in the United States of America once said that â€Å"affirmative action is the most important modern anti-discrimination technique ever instituted in the United States. It is the one tool that has had a demonstrable effect on discrimination. No one who knows anything about the subject would say it hasn t worked. It has certainly done something, or else it wouldn t have provoked so much opposition†. This means that affirmative action is a modern anti-discrimination technique that has beenRead MoreEssay on Affirmative Action in College Admissions1132 Words   |  5 PagesAffirmative Action in College Admissions Affirmative Action has become one of the most controversial issues regarding college admissions. It is an issue that exposes profiling to its highest extent. Race, gender and income now become vital factors in education opportunities. Affirmative Action is the procedure that is used as a criteria in admissions that will increase the points a college applicant receives on their application evaluation based on the previous factors. Whether race should beRead MoreRace and The Affirmative Action Policies1244 Words   |  5 PagesThe utilization of race in affirmative action policies in higher education has been a topic of contention for several decades now. Since the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we have seen some of the most heated debates over the fairness of affirmative action and the impacts on society the utilization of race creates. With such pending questions on fairness and of the constitutionality of affirmative action policies two major Supreme Court cases have arisen, University of California Regents