What sorts of affirmative action programs are prohibited, according to the Supreme Court? What sorts of programs are acceptable?
Describe the Top Ten Percent program in Texas. How has de facto segregation enabled this policy to produce diverse enrollment at colleges and universities? Do you think a university valuing diversity should use a traditional affirmative action program or a policy like the Top Ten Percent program? Justify your answer.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Describe the affirmative action policies that the Supreme Court has prohibited: programs that use quotas or mathematical formulas.
2. Describe the affirmative action policies that the Supreme Court has affirmed: programs that use race as one of several factors in a holistic admissions assessment.
3. Describe the Ten Percent Plan in Texas, which grants automatic state school admissions to anyone who graduates in the top 10 percent of a Texas high school class.
4. Explain how de facto segregation enables the Ten Percent Plan to produce a diverse study body. Since there is considerable de facto segregation in residential neighborhoods and schools, many schools have high concentrations of African American or Hispanic students. Therefore, the top 10 percent of students from these schools adds diversity to Texas universities.
5. Evaluate whether a traditional affirmative action program or a top 10 percent program is a better way to achieve a diverse study body. The argument should be well-reasoned, with supporting statements backing up a thesis.
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The document that lays out in detail the regulations and procedures of the EU is called
a. the Reform treaty. b. the EU constitution. c. the Acquis Communautaire. d. the OSCE. e. the Collective Document
Which of the following is not an accurate comparison of American political parties to parties from most other democratic countries?
A) Compared to other countries, American parties are often ideologically vague. B) American parties gravitate toward more centrist positions on issues. C) Parties in most democracies are strong and well organized, whereas American parties tend to be weaker organizationally. D) Compared to other countries, American parties have more clear distinctions based on social class, ethnic, or religious divisions. E) American parties align with broader constituencies.