Affirmative Action

Research related to Affirmative Action

Charting the Future of College Affirmative Action: Legal Victories, Continuing Attacks, and New Research

American higher education has struggled now for nearly a half century to find ways to better serve and reflect the diversity of American society and to train leaders who can cross over the social divisions that have limited the American dream since its beginnings. We have learned that it can be done, that there are major benefits to the educational and research missions of our campuses, and that we know how to do it better. It is very important that our university faculties and leaders not give up on what has been a notable success but find the best ways to preserve it in a time of polarization and help to build a successful multiracial America.

Higher Education and the Color Line

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decisions upholding affirmative action, Higher Education and the Color Line outlines the agenda for achieving racial justice in higher education in the next generation. Weaving together current research and a discussion of overarching demographic, legal, and political issues, this comprehensive and timely book focuses on the racial transformation of higher education and the structural barriers that perpetuate racial stratification at the postsecondary level.

Race and the Metropolitan Origins Of Postsecondary Access to Four Year Colleges: The Case of Greater Boston

The Metro Boston Equity Initiative is devoted to analyzing race relations and racial equity issues not simply in the city of Boston, but across the entire metropolitan region. Although greater Boston still has a large white majority and suburban sectors with very little diversity, immigration of Latinos and Asians is driving the region’s growth, and much of this population increase is taking place well outside of the city limits. Changing patterns of school enrollment provide a good sense of the region’s near-term future.

State Merit Scholarship Programs and Racial Inequality

Unmet financial need – the gap between the costs of attending college and the resources available to students from their families and from all sources of financial aid – presents a major barrier to college for students from lower-income families. The federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance found that unmet need is a barrier both to students’ initial enrollment in college and to their ability to persist through and earn a degree.

Appearance and Reality in the Sunshine State: The Talented 20 Program in Florida

After a review of Florida state and institutional data and interviews with staff at five campuses of the Florida State University System and several Florida state agencies, this report describes the history, implementation, and effects of the Talented 20 Program. The report concludes that Talented 20 Plan is, in fact, not race-neutral and is not an effective alternative to race-conscious affirmative action.