The Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action

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Over the course of the recent past, universities across the U.S. have been faced with decisions on admissions. What was once popular, affirmative action, is now fading with a long past of problems, and new programs are entering into the picture. The University of Dayton and many others are taking actions to improve the standards of their students, regardless of race and background. These new concepts are reflecting higher academic progress, and increase in prestige and national reputation. By basing selection on academic ability and incorporating improved recruiting techniques, the nation would be filled with greater college standards and no use for an old and tiring affirmative action process.

With the lawsuits that took place beginning in 1997, involving the University of Michigan, it is clear to see that the process of recruitment is in need of reform. Many problems arose from this lawsuit. A college that is as well known as Michigan, to have such problems as alleged preference to minorities, opened the eyes of many administrative officers at other colleges. The problems that surfaced from that ordeal were clearly brought to the public’s attention.

The problems exhibited in Michigan were based on the university’s point admission process. This was a major problem. By awarding points to students, based solely on being a minority, living in the state, and have athletic ability, eliminated many students that had a great deal of academic ability. This statement was issued after the lawsuit went public, by the university president.

In our undergraduate admission system, fully 110 points out of 150 are given for academic factors including grades, test scores, and curriculum. We only count 12 points for test scores, but that is because we value high school grades to a much greater extent--- they can earn up to 80 points. We consider many other factors as well. Race is one of those, but a student who is socioeconomically disadvantaged also can earn 20 points (students cannot earn 20 points for both factors, however). Geographic diversity is also important, and a student from Michigan’s upper peninsula, for example, earns 16 points.

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