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A College Roommate Story Too Insane To Makeup
My worst roommate (and I've had some bad ones) was on my semester at Tel-Aviv University. It started on the group flight there, with this obnoxious surfer looking guy who was seated next to me (I was on an aisle, he was in the middle). On the ten...
An Online College Education Overview
There has always been a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education. The answer to this is quite simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college education and there are bad...
Free NFL picks, free College Football Picks
NFL this week -ecobika-
WEEK 8 PICKS
WASHINGTON REDSKINS @ NY GIANTS Su Oct 30 - 1:00 pm EST/17:00 GMT Last week we cashed in with Denver (+1.5) in their NY win, but don't feel as if the Redskins will offer as much of a challenge this week,...
Getting the Best Online College Education
Copyright 2005 Richard Keir
While there is always a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education, the answer is really very simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college...
How to Get Student Loans for College
Student loans are a helpful accessory when you need to cover
costs when deciding to further your education, including housing
and tuition. Student loans are there to be financial lifesavers
when grants or scholarships leave your school funding a...
Online Education - Know your Options before you Enrol at a University or College
Some Universities and Colleges have opened a whole new line of
education for today's busy people and for people in smaller
cities and towns. You no longer have to sit in a classroom for 8
hours a day in-order to study for a Diploma, Bachelor's...
Paying For A College Education The Army Way
The United States Army is one of the most organizations in the country at not only promoting higher education for its members and recruits, but in assisting them to pay for it as well. They offer a number of programs to all qualified applicants...
Students of Private Colleges
Until recently I have taught technology classes including networking, web programming, web design, and others at a private corporate run college. I prefer not to divulge the name at this time. You've probably seen their advertisements on national...
Top 25 College Football Rankings are Meaningless!
What is he talking about? If you think Top 25 Rankings are a great way to handicap football games, let me lend some friendly advice. I have to admit that I would be hard pressed to name more than 20 of the Top 25 teams going into this weekends games...
Top College Basketball Arenas
If you're a fan of college basketball then these are the courts that are said to be the best of best to watch a game in. Between the skills the seating and the concessions there's no better place to see a game then these courts.
In first is...
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Is Affirmative Action In Jeopardy On College Campuses?
Affirmative action and other set-asides for minorities and women
have come under increasing fire in recent years. These programs,
first started decades ago, were once a given in higher education
for everything from admission to financial aid. Today, women and
minority students cannot count on the same level assistance from
affirmative action that their parents may have received.
The backlash against affirmative action comes largely from the
group that feels damaged by these programs--white males. As the
standard of living for African Americans in the United States
has risen, whites claim that the "leg up" provided by set-aside
programs constitutes an unfair advantage. Similarly, white males
point out that since women now make up the majority of college
students, they can hardly claim discrimination. The critics of
affirmative action promote a merit-based system, in which
admission and scholarships are awarded to the most worthy, with
race or gender not considered at all.
The exclusively merit-based system, however, has itself come
under attack. Supporters of affirmative action claim that there
is no fair way to determine merit. Tests, like the SAT, have
always produced a mark disparity in results between blacks and
whites. Other factors used to rank college applicants, such as
grade point averages and advanced placement classes, vary widely
from one school to another. In fact, many minority leaders claim
that there is no completely objective way to measure ability.
They believe that a person's background or the obstacles he/she
may have overcome are just as important as grades and
standardized tests. According to affirmative action supporters,
the merit system fails to produce an element vital to higher
education--diversity. This, they say, is necessary for a
well-rounded college experience, as well as for societal
stability.
Despite the rhetoric and passions on both sides, the
future of
affirmative action is likely to be determined by the courts, not
by the activists. Recent state court rulings have upheld policy
changes in key states such as Texas, Florida, and California,
that now restrict how schools can use race and gender as factors
in determining admission. Although the Supreme Court has not yet
issued a definitive ruling, two things are now apparent. First,
race cannot be the sole factor in determining admission. Second,
when race is one of the factors, the school must demonstrate a
compelling interest for the government to allow it. Exactly what
constitutes a "compelling" interest remains to be seen.
In order to maintain diversity on their campuses, universities
have developed innovative ways of achieving the same goals
without violating the new restrictions. Often called a
"holistic" method, some schools now consider a variety of
factors besides grades and test scores. For example, students
who had a difficult home life or had to work during their high
school years in order to help support their family may get
special consideration. Furthermore, corporations and various
private foundations have increased their funding for minority
scholarships in order to make up for any drop in federal or
state-sponsored aid.
It is unlikely that affirmative action will be completely
eliminated. Too many schools are committed to maintaining a
diverse student body. College administrators will find one way
or another to achieve balance in their admissions. However, if
the current trends continue, women and minorities will need to
seek out new sources of college financial aid, and develop new
strategies for gaining entrance to the nation's top
universities.
About the author:
Chris Davis. Please visit http://www.educationwebresources.com
for the latest information on finding scholarships, college
grants, and other useful resources for students and teachers.
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