Progress on the admissions bias probe
Here’s the update on Commission actions yesterday, from insidehighered. I plan to continue writing commentaries on this issue — I have two more about to surface — not because I think this is a critical issue (is this bias any different from favoring minorities or quarterbacks?) but because it appears to be the only way to focus attention on the true issue, which is what’s happening in K-12 schools. I find it difficult to draw attention to what most people consider a messy problem lacking a solution. But tell them their daughter is being discriminated against … all of a sudden I have their attention. Now, if I can only steer that attention in the right direction.
Tags: commission
December 17th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I totally agree with you. K-12 is the issue. And I agree with you that you play the cards you are dealt. If people pay attention to this probe, then to try to use it to get to the real issues makes sense. Also, it is too bad that the colleges they will look at do not include William and Mary or James Madison. And finally, the connection between this probe and Title IX athletic considerations is interesting. It says in the referenced article that there is concern by advocates of women’s athletics that the commission may find that there is discrimination, that affirmative action is not a proper way to try to get more men into the colleges, but that they will then recommend that Congress modify Title IX to allow more men’s athletic teams without having to have more women’s athletic teams. The idea would be that having more men’s teams at these colleges would attract more applications by men. Now if you really want to get people’s attention, threats to women’s athletics are certainly the way to go!