Adam                                                                                                  March 16, 2004

Writing for the 21^st Century                                                               Ms. Gokturk

 

 

PROPOSAL

 

 

TOPIC:  The Role and Impact of Affirmative Action Policies on College

   Admissions

 

The mere mention of the words, “Affirmative Action,” evokes strong feelings about American culture and our well-documented history of bigotry.  Originally conceived forty years ago as a way to give targeted minority groups who may have directly or indirectly been the target of discrimination in past an advantage in employment, it has since been extended into the admissions process of colleges and universities. As a result, many institutions of higher learning are accepting minority students with lower grades and SAT scores than white applicants in an effort to create a “diverse” class demographic. These policies have been challenged in court over the years with confusing decisions that have done little to provide clear-cut standards for schools to follow.

 

The question arises if it is “fair” to substitute what may have been a policy of discrimination in the past with another policy of discrimination in an effort to right the wrong that might exist?  By institutionally lowering the standards of admission for only some students, is it fair to the students who have achieved more academically to be denied entrance? To address the policy as possibly being unfair can subject you to cries of “racism” for merely making a purely academic inquiry. 

 

Overview: I propose to 1) study the history of Affirmative Action in the United States. 2) Research the statistics of A/A on college admissions with respect to impacted groups and their relative rates of acceptances 3) Research the judicial challenges to A/A and the resultant decisions. 4) Speak to administrators to gain insight into the current thinking of college/university leaders as to their position on A/A.  5) Survey high school students to ascertain their opinion of A/A by grade (9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th).

 

MOTIVATION

 

As I completed another of my numerous applications for a position in a summer research program I came across a question that asked, “What is your race?” Although it was an optional inquiry, it made me stop and think. If I checked off that I am Caucasian, it might hurt my chances of getting into that program.  In the brochure, it was made clear that they would try to achieve a “diverse” enrollment. I believe that the noble goal of achieving a diverse academic environment may be corrupted insofar as it ‘discriminates’ against non-minority applicants who may have superior credentials. And even those minority candidates who are admitted with credentials that equal those of white students will be unfairly viewed as possible being less qualified by virtue of the stigma of an in-place Affirmative Action policy  (i.e. “Oh, the only reason he/she got in must have been by A/A”).

 

This topic is important because it will directly impact virtually all of my peers as they apply to college (for better or for worse).  For the most part, I believe most of my fellow students believe in the concept of Affirmative Action as almost an automatic response when asked.  However, I am not sure if they understand how the policy can profoundly impact if they will be accepted into the college of their choice.  As a result, I believe that creating a climate of awareness will promote a healthy discourse about the policy and if it is still viable.

 

QUESTIONS

 

Some of the basic questions relative to this topic include:

 

            • Why/When was the policy of Affirmative Action instituted?

            • How many colleges/universities use some sort of A/A policy?

• What has been the impact of A/A policies on college admission demographics?

• What legal challenges have their been to A/A policies and what

has been the result of these challenges? (Bakke v. UC Davis; Hopwood v. U Texas; Grutter/Gratz v. U Michigan et. al.)

• What is the current thinking of school administrators on A/A policy? (see attached)

• What is the current level of knowledge of A/A admission policies in the high school student population by grade? (i.e. Do students become more aware of the policies as they approach graduation? If so, when do they become most aware?)

 

I think that A/A policies as they apply to college admissions are a ‘stealth’ issue that most students are unaware of.  I think most students are philosophically comfortable with the goals of A/A but do not fully comprehend the ramifications of the policies historically.  This project’s survey should produce interesting results.

 

PROPOSED CAUSE

 

Ideally, my research project will produce empirical data (survey and research material) that will provoke debate.  I believe too little is known about Affirmative Action’s influence on my peer group and motivating teenagers on either side of the issue can only result in a more informed electorate in the future.

 

I will no doubt need to conduct research in the library, on the internet (see attached reprint from Jeffrey Lehman, former Dean of U Michigan Law, now President of Cornell) and hopefully conducting interviews with the likes of President Lehman, President Lee Bollinger (formerly Dean of U Michigan, now President of Columbia) etc.  I will also need to access law libraries via NEXIS/LEXIS which may require access to a subscription base (perhaps through the public library). 

 

Depending on the direction my research takes me, this project may result in a paper or a video project. 

 

The purpose of my project/cause is to educate.  In many ways, this will require penetrating knee-jerk reactions on both sides of the issue to illuminate my peers about this relatively unseen policy that may already be impacting their academic choices.