Colleges Face New Challenges Over Race for Admissions

This week’s story update on the Election Central Web looks at a problem that Texas Tech University is facing regarding the use of race in admission decisions.

Few issues are as hotly-debated in the world of higher education admissions as the role of student applicants’ race. Supporters of using a student’s race as a determining factor say that considering such things is critical to balancing out historic discrimination and low numbers of minority students at the nation’s top universities. Trying to balance such historic discrimination with intentional efforts such as increased admission to colleges is one example of what is called “affirmative action.” Opponents of the practice argue that affirmative action in admissions is a form of racial discrimination and that college admission spots should be awarded on the basis of a student’s academic merit only.

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Credit: McGraw-Hill Education