Should a Student's Ethnicity Be a Consideration for College Acceptance?

Ethical Essay:
Should a Student’s Ethnicity Be a Consideration for College Acceptance?
Name of Student:
Student Number:
Course Number & Title:
Instructor’s Name:
Submission Date:
The concern of a student’s ethnicity in college admission in The United States sprouted as a result of the enactment of the affirmative action policy that sort to provide special consideration and chances for racial minorities to better their lives. In the mid-1960s President Lyndon Johnson and the civil rights movements’ efforts to end poverty gave birth to a faction aimed at granting equal access to education for all Americans among other initiatives1. In late 1965, President Lyndon went ahead to sign a decree law directing to apply affirmative action by government contractors in employing racial minorities2.
Due to this directive, colleges and schools training professionals began to admit students from outnumbered communities among their educational charge. Eventually, most institutions started instigating racial consideration as part of their admission policies. Formerly predominantly white institutions of higher learning increasingly took up Hispanics and African Americans who were long considered minorities3.
While ethnic consideration for college admission was meant to terminate and correct the impact of previous government discrimination, its legality and morality have been questioned over the years. The first case against affirmative action policies was filed in 1978 between the University of California Regents and Allan Bakke4. Bakke was a white college applicant who filed a legal suit against the University of California for wrongfully denying him a position at the medical school.
1 Dorothy F. Garrison-Wade and Chance W. Lewis. ERIC Institute of Education Sciences. . 2004., 2.
2 Garrison-Wade and Lewis, 2
3 Garrison-Wade and Lewis, 3
4 University of California Regents Vs. Bakke. U.S. reports /item/usrep438265/. Supreme Court of California; 438 U.S. 265. 1978, 137.
He claimed that he was left out to make room for minority applicants with lesser qualifications. The United States’ Supreme Court, while acknowledging that application of “racial limits” in deciding admission violated the fourteenth Amendment of the Equal Protection Clause, ruled that advanced learning institutions could still judge applicants based on race among many other factors in their recruitment process5.
The fair treatment policies were once again challenged in the 2003 case of Grutter versus Bollinger, 2003. A law school applicant sued the University of Michigan for rejecting her application citing that the university used race as the predominant selection factor giving minority groups a greater chance of admission compared to applicants from disfavored racial with the same credentials6. The trial court ruled that the rule was unlawful and granted an injunction. However, the United States Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit rescinded the ruling vacating the injunction. It was concluded that the school of law engaged in a thorough review of all applications giving serious thought to all the possible factors alongside race in which an applicant could contribute to a diverse educational setting making it lawful7.
In Gratz versus Bollinger case of June, 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that an admission process that awarded points based on the race and the ethnicity of an applicant was unlawful. This ruling has transformed the future of affirmative action in the college recruitment and admission process since race or ethnicity cannot warrant the award of extra points in favor of certain desired applicant8
5 University of California Regents Vs. Bakke, 266.
6 Grutter Vs Bollinger. Justia https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/539/306/. U.S. Supreme Court; 539. U.S. 306. 2003, 1.
7 Grutter Vs Bollinger, 1.
8 Grutter Vs Bollinger,1.
Affirmative action in college admissions continues to provoke huge controversies and debates. The proponents of race-conscious college admissions exercises cite various reasons in support of this practice. One of the major reasons is to curb the underrepresentation of students of color in college campuses. Even with the significant rise in the rates of college enrolment and completion, there is more underrepresentation of students of color, particularly those of black and Latin decent9. For example, while half of Mississippi State high school graduates between 2015 and 2016 were black, only 12.9 percent constituted the undergraduate population at The University of Mississippi10.
It has also been noted that when diversity is prioritized, students of all races benefit because of enhanced educational experiences. According to a survey carried out by Century Foundation, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that classrooms that are racially incorporated have; helped ease racial biases, enhanced intellectual credence and improved leadership capabilities. These outcomes prepare students to contribute to the diverse global workforce increasing creativity, effectiveness and productivity.11
It has also been ascertained that affirmative action in education improves diversification in ways that focus on household income solely cannot. 12
9 Maxwell, Connor and Garcia, Sara. “Five Reasons to Support Affirmative Action in College
Admissions”. Americanprogress.org /issues/race/news/2019/10/01/471085/5-reasons-support-affirmative-action-college-admissions/ October, 2019, 1
10 Maxwell, Connor and Garcia, Sara, 1.
Maxwell, Connor and Garcia, Sara, 1.
Maxwell, Connor and Garcia, Sara, 1.
Income is only a part of a total scrutiny for those who apply as it only serves as a great indicator of the ability of a household to cater for a student’s expenses but does not address the need for indiscriminate access to higher learning. Wealthy families are more likely to attend better schools, obtain test preparation materials and pay college tuition. However, households of color that have experienced systemic racial discrimination and intergenerational transfers are less likely to enjoy the same opportunities.
It is also argued that with affirmative action comes social mobility. Research indicates that minority students from low-income homes once accepted to top-tier schools graduate and compete favorably in the job market with their wealthy counterparts. There affirmative action may help bring equity as minority low-income students have the opportunity emerge from poverty and join the middle class.
Affirmative action has been criticized and opponents argue that it in fact harms the students that it intends to help. The arguments against this action include; it lacks principle and is therefore unethical, it has thwarted meritocracy, it has perpetuated stereotypes and fostered stigma, it has ignited backlash, there is a high dropout rate for minorities admitted into highly selective schools and minority applicants do not need affirmative action more than any other students.
Opponents argue that affirmative action discredits merit that is measured by regulated examination scores. They believe that students who score high grades deserve to be admitted. However, there are other admission considerations ranging from the applicants ability to cater for their regular expenses, the university’s stand on evenhandedness and the leaning institution’s objective of including diverse people for educational reasons. It is worth noting that all students admitted to highly selective schools deserved and met the admission selected criteria by some standard. Proponents say that merit may not just be denoted by excellent grades but also involves identifying those who when given a chance at higher education may make great use of it.
Critics also affirm that the policy creates stigma among minorities and stereotypes them by making a general impression that they will not perform as well as their white counterparts who were admitted with higher grades. This can be attributed to Justice Powell’s ruling in the case of Bakke versus The Regents of California where he wrote...