The Partial Deinstitutionalization of Affirmative Action in U.S. Higher Education, 1988 to 2014

Hirschman, Daniel; Berrey, Ellen

doi:10.15195/v4.a18

Cited by 36 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(35 reference statements)

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“…Finally, in contrast to the vast majority of research on race‐based admissions and affirmative action, we examine admissions practices across a diverse range of nonelite 4‐year institutions. As Hirschman and Berrey suggested, in much prior research, scholars tend “to infer the logic of the entire field of higher education from analyses of the admissions practices of elite institutions” (, p. 449), but we instead focus on the 80 percent of 4‐year colleges that serve a wider array of students, geographies, and interests.…”

Section: Design and Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal records and college admissions: A modified experimental audit

Stewart

Uggen

2019

Criminology

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In this article, we consider the effect of criminal records on college admissions. Nearly 72 percent of colleges require criminal history information during their application processes, which indicates that an applicant's criminal history could be a significant impediment to achieving the benefits associated with higher education. We conducted a modified experimental audit to learn whether and to what extent criminal records affect admissions decisions. Matched same-race pairs of tester applications were sent to a national sample of nonelite 4-year colleges, with both testers applying as either Black or White. Within each pair, one application signaled a prior low-level felony conviction only when required by the application. Consistent with the findings of research on employment, we find the rejection rate for applicants with felony convictions was nearly 2.5 times the rate of our control testers. Relative to the large racial differences observed in previous studies of hiring decisions, we find smaller racial differences in admissions decisions. Nevertheless, Black applicants with criminal records were particularly penalized when disclosing a felony record at colleges with high campus crime rates. We address implications for reentry, racial progress, and the college "Ban the Box" movement. We suggest colleges consider narrowing the scope of such inquiries or removing the question altogether -particularly when it conflicts with the goals of these institutions, including reducing the underrepresentation of students of color." 156

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Section: Design and Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criminal records and college admissions: A modified experimental audit

Stewart

Uggen

2019

Criminology

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“…Between the early 1970s and mid-1990s, approximately half of all colleges and universities considered race in admissions (Grodsky 2007). In 1994, among the approximately 1000 most competitive institutions, 60% considered race, marking a high-water moment for the policy (Hirschman and Berrey 2017). There was near universal policy use at the most elite institutions and significant variation among other selective schools.…”

Section: A Brief History Of Affirmative Action In College Admissionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In concentrating on elite institutions, scholarship has implicitly presumed a uniform treatment and understanding of what affirmative action entails across competitive status tiers. This assumption remains untested, despite evidence that considering race in admissions is contested and not ubiquitous in higher education, particularly at less elite institutions (Grodsky and Kalogrides 2008;Hirschman and Berrey 2017). Indeed, Hirschman and Berrey (2017) find that between 1988 and 2014, the colleges and universities that stopped considering race in admissions were those lower in the status hierarchy (i.e.…”

Section: Studying the Effects Of Affirmative Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This assumption remains untested, despite evidence that considering race in admissions is contested and not ubiquitous in higher education, particularly at less elite institutions (Grodsky and Kalogrides 2008;Hirschman and Berrey 2017). Indeed, Hirschman and Berrey (2017) find that between 1988 and 2014, the colleges and universities that stopped considering race in admissions were those lower in the status hierarchy (i.e. very competitive public institutions and competitive public and private institutions).…”

Section: Studying the Effects Of Affirmative Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, two recent national studies suggest research narrowly concerned with the nation's most elite institutions and the most competitive public institutions in ban states may not generalize to the broader field of selective higher education. Grodsky and Kalogrides (2008) and Hirschman and Berrey (2017) show that the percentage of selective schools claiming to consider race in admissions has fallen dramatically since a peak in the mid-1990s, and that most of these schools dropped the consideration of race absent the coercive pressure of a state-level ban.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

When Affirmative Action Disappears: Unexpected Patterns in Student Enrollments at Selective U.S. Institutions, 1990-2016

kehal¹,

Hirschman²,

Berrey³

2018

Preprint

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This paper challenges an unexamined assumption in affirmative action politics and scholarship on U.S. postsecondary admissions: considering race in admissions invariably increases Black, Latinx, and Indigenous enrollments. We analyze the relationship between stated admissions policies and enrollment trends by student racial identity at 975 selective colleges and universities in states without affirmative action bans from 1990 to 2016. We find that this relationship varies depending on the institution’s competitiveness. Considering race is associated with an increase in Black student enrollments at the most competitive institutions. At less competitive institutions, however, considering race is associated with a decrease in Black student enrollments and an increase in White, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Non-U.S. resident student enrollments. These findings show that schools’ racial enrollment demographics differ systematically according to whether they choose to consider race in admissions. The analysis underscores the importance of examining variation in institutional policy across the field of higher education.

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US Medical School Admissions Leaders’ Experiences With Barriers to and Advancements in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Henderson

Fancher

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceDespite decades-long calls for increasing racial and ethnic diversity, the medical profession continues to exclude members of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, and Indigenous groups.ObjectiveTo describe US medical school admissions leaders’ experiences with barriers to and advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis qualitative study involved key-informant interviews of 39 deans and directors of admission from 37 US allopathic medical schools across the range of student body racial and ethnic composition. Interviews were conducted in person and online from October 16, 2019, to March 27, 2020, and analyzed from October 2019 to March 2021.Main Outcomes and MeasuresParticipant experiences with barriers to and advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion.ResultsAmong 39 participants from 37 medical schools, admissions experience ranged from 1 to 40 years. Overall, 56.4% of participants identified as women, 10.3% as Asian American, 25.6% as Black or African American, 5.1% as Hispanic or Latinx, and 61.5% as White (participants could report &gt;1 race and/or ethnicity). Participants characterized diversity broadly, with limited attention to racial injustice. Barriers to advancing racial and ethnic diversity included lack of leadership commitment; pressure from faculty and administrators to overemphasize academic scores and school rankings; and political and social influences, such as donors and alumni. Accreditation requirements, holistic review initiatives, and local policy motivated reforms but may also have inadvertently lowered expectations and accountability. Strategies to overcome challenges included narrative change and revision of school leadership structure, admissions goals, practices, and committee membership.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this qualitative study, admissions leaders characterized the ways in which entrenched beliefs, practices, and power structures in medical schools may perpetuate institutional racism, with far-reaching implications for health equity. Participants offered insights on how to remove inequitable structures and implement process changes. Without such action, calls for racial justice will likely remain performative, and racism across health care institutions will continue.

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The Partial Deinstitutionalization of Affirmative Action in U.S. Higher Education, 1988 to 2014

Cited by 36 publications

References 32 publications

Criminal records and college admissions: A modified experimental audit

Criminal records and college admissions: A modified experimental audit

When Affirmative Action Disappears: Unexpected Patterns in Student Enrollments at Selective U.S. Institutions, 1990-2016

US Medical School Admissions Leaders’ Experiences With Barriers to and Advancements in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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