Case Study About Race Issues In College Admissions

Affirmative Action. For many Texas high school students, these two words haunt them. Their future, or at least their future at the University of Texas, depends on these words. For Abigail Noel Fisher, a 2008 graduate from Sugar Land, Texas, affirmative action and its race bias policies allegedly ruined her chances of getting into this prestigious state university. Fisher argues that race should not be a factor in college admissions processes, Fisher argues for equality. Equality in respect to race is in our constitution; it surrounds us everyday. In theory, race should be irrelevant in this day and age. Humanity has established that one race is not superior to another, so why should race matter at all in the college admissions process? Why should the University of Texas, or any other university, have that “check your race” box on their applications? Abigail Fisher, and every other person applying to the university, deserves as much opportunity as every other student of any race. When it comes to college, intelligence and character should be key to admission- not the color of the applicant’s skin. The University of Texas’ current affirmative action policy is an unfair college admissions process that the Supreme Court should ban so that admissions are based on intellectual ability in high school, national testing scores, extracurricular activities, and community service; this should be changed so that every person,

Additionally, not taking race into account allows universities to enhance their selection system. Not only does this dismiss the possibility of being influenced by ethnicity, but it rewards excellency in more qualified students. Since in society, people choose to award high-skilled positions to highly qualified people, it certainly makes sense to admit the most capable individuals. Louis P. Pojman, in his article “The Case Against Affirmative Action,” states that,

Legal Question: The legal issue presented in this case ultimately questioned the University of Michigan’s admission policy which sought a more diverse student body. The court addressed whether the University of Michigan’s use of racial preferences in the admission process violated

Race equality has been an arduous issue in the United States. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) is a landmark Supreme Court case that brought scrutiny to racial discrimination in the college admission process. The Encyclopedia Of Law And Higher Education introduces the discussion of the University of California at Davis’ special minority admissions policy at their medical school. The case was first heard by the Supreme Court of California and later taken to the United States Supreme Court (Russo 363). The short and long term effects of the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) have changed the procedure for college admittance all over the United States of America.

Recently the Supreme Court made a ruling that gave schools across the country a higher standard to abide by when using affirmative action when making admission decisions. This case was brought to attention by Abigail Fisher, a white women rejected by the University of Texas. The verdict was a tame one and ruled in favor of Fisher with admissions requiring ““no workable race-neutral alternatives” when a student’s acceptance status is determined. This avoided much debate compared to the capacity the Court has for changing the nation.

As tensions surrounding race-sensitive admissions continue to grow, proponents of eliminating race-based policies are gaining momentum. A conservative political climate, as seen in the mandates for race neutrality in California and Washington and a recent court decision (Hopwood v. State of Texas), which significantly limits the use of race as criteria for admissions in three states, fuel this charge. Although race sensitive admissions policies are still widely used, a vocal opposition has destabilized the foundation on which these practices are based (Tierney, 1997).

University of Texas Law School. Hopwood contended that diversity in education was not a compelling state interest (Brunner 5). The conservative Justices also expressed concern that under the affirmative action system wealthy African American applicants received preferential treatment (Leonhardt 1). Justice Alito refuted that those applicants should not receive preferential treatment over white applicants from humbler backgrounds (3). The Supreme Court concluded that the affirmative action system in place at the University of Texas Law School benefited African Americans and Mexicans “to the detriment of whites and non-preferred minorities (Cummings

One of the most problematic and controversial issues in The United States of America is affirmative action. Affirmative action is a policy of affording minorities certain privileges in order to combat the historical prejudice against them. In an effort to redress the historical injustices faced by African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities, universities and employers across the nation have taken race into account when admitting students or hiring employees. Abigail Fisher, of Texas, applied for admission into the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and was denied; she sued the public university on the grounds of racial discrimination or reverse racism in the supreme court case Fisher v University of Texas.

FACTS: A Michigan resident was denied admission to the University of Michigan Law school, even though she had a 3.8 GPA and a score of 161 on the LSAT. Barbara Grutter sued the school alleging that they had discriminated against her based on her race, which would be in violation of her constitutional rights. The University of Michigan Law School argued that there is a state interest to not have a “critical mass” of students of a given race; so that minorities do not feel isolated.

The Bakke Vs. The Regents of University of California case is one of the most well known supreme court cases in America dealing with the topic of affirmative action. Stated by Eastland, “affirmative action policies are those in which an institution or organization actively engages in efforts to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American society” (10). In 1978, the plaintiff Bakke filed a suit against the University of California, claiming that his rejection from the school was a result of racial discrimination and that it violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the equal protection clause of the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, and the California Constitution (Posner 171). The U.S Supreme court ruled that affirmative action was constitutional, but not the use of racial quotas. The significance of this case is that it dealt directly with two major theories prevalent to minorities and race: Their assimilation into the university setting using affirmative action, and also the systemic racism that these groups faced as well. More specifically however, the Bakke Vs. the Regents of University of California case can be explained by systemic racism more so than assimilation, because systemic racism was and still is in effect in these educational institutions. Even with the inclusion of programs such as affirmative action that are supposed to combat systemic racism and simplify assimilation, American institutions were built upon ideological processes that

Affirmative action has been viewed as an effective tool for rectifying the inequalities of racism in our country’s past. It is a set of procedures intended to eliminate the discrimination of an applicant based on their ethnic origin. President John F. Kennedy first introduced the concept “broadly across the United States with his Executive Order number 10925” and “in 1978 the Supreme Court ruled that race could be used as an admission standard” (Wilcher). The utilization of race is a “plus factor” for minority races but it has developed into a disadvantage for Asian-American students who demonstrate academic excellence. They often find their achievements overlooked because of their racial background (Bronner). Although affirmative action

It hides and shields the true meaning of independence, an ideal on which our country was founded upon; moreover, it crushes self-reliance and the hardworking sentiment. It does not consider the true ability and experience while prioritizing race which really has no impact on the two real factors that should determine admission. It demeans genuine minority achievement as success is merely labeled as a result of affirmative action rather that the outcome of hard work and ability. Supporting my argument, Justice Kennedy, an active member of the Supreme Court Justices, states the following: “So what you’re saying is that what counts is race above all … You want underprivileged of a certain race and privileged of another race.” Correctly so, this quote argues for standards and benefits of meritocracy, truly a stable and fair method to judge prospective applicants. Withal, a real life scenario of students who were rejected purely due to affirmative action further strengthens my case. A group of rejected Asian students sued the University of Harvard. Not only did they score higher on the SAT, but in an interview with FOX news, they stated that they had more and better qualified extracurricular activities plus higher level courses and grades throughout the course of high

Discrimination and segregation have been inbred into America’s history from day one. Therefore, there have been many laws and bills passed to break down barriers between privileged whites and unfortunate minorities. Among these government actions are the 14th Amendment, Equal Pay Act, and the Civil Rights Acts. John F. Kennedy perhaps created one of the most heavily debated policies today, his Affirmative Action Policy. Affirmative action is defined as, “the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.” (“Definition of AFFIRMATIVE” 1). The definition itself is vague and open for a good deal of interpretation which causes much of today’s debates. The most recent interpretation of Affirmative Action came from the Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin (UT of Austin). Fisher was a white individual who was denied acceptance into the university, and then filed a lawsuit against them. Fisher lost the case at the Supreme Court level in 2013, but the case returned in 2016 again with a much closer vote, so affirmative action is losing some of its power and will continue to be challenged for years to come, but is it worth the challenge (Kut.org 1)? Affirmative Action has served a vital role in the integration of race into universities and the workforce, but now it is outdated and an unnecessary requirement for schools and businesses.

& Martinez, 2003). The Supreme Court ruled that the University of California was wrong in the way they approached a special admissions program that was open only to minority applicants (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003). The ruling argued that the special admissions program violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003). Justice Lewis Powell, Jr. stated in his opinion on the Bakke case that quotas “would hinder rather than further attainment of genuine diversity” (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003, p. 141). Justice Powell, Jr. also wrote that race is only one part of many factors that an institution can consider in truly achieving a heterogeneous student population (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003). By siding with Bakke in this case, the Supreme Court essentially outlawed the use of racial quotas in admissions processes in higher education, yet universities took this as it is okay to use race as a selective factor as long as there are no quotas (Aguirre Jr. & Martinez, 2003).

College, one of the first and most important milestones individuals achieve. Many students strive to make excellent grades, excel in varsity sports, and get involved in extracurricular activities, solely to stand out from the crowd. Every determining factor in college admissions is up to the individual, except for one, race. A vast amount of students find this factor controversial. Colleges are accepting and denying students admission based on a factor that students have no control over. This system of admission has been implemented by the government in 1961. The system was created due to the colossal amount of discrimination minorities have faced in the past, it’s called Affirmative Action. Affirmative Actions purpose was to create a diverse environment, which meant, sometimes turning down the best individual for the job. At the time, this was necessary, but now, not so much. Affirmative Action was crucial for minorities to gain financial stability after being oppressed for decades, but in modern society, there has to be a system to assure the best individual for the job. Affirmative Action can cause a predicament for society in a whole. A highly qualified student can be denied admission from their first choice college, due to their race. They can be subjected to Affirmative Action after they graduate also. When the individual is looking to start up their career, Affirmative Action can be a factor that denies them from obtaining that position.