Berkeley, CA: Bay Tree Publishing, 2005.
Main LC212.42.L35 2005
Affirmative
action, a three decades-long effort to create equal opportunities for
minorities in jobs, business and education, and still a hot-button issue, is
the subject of this book. Laird, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the
University of California at Berkeley, provides an inside look at the
admissions process at his institution and also tackles the wider issue of
the efficacy of maintaining a diverse student body through affirmative
action. Throughout the course of this study, he shows how affirmative action
works in an educational setting and how it benefits society in general to
continue the policy. In so doing, he provides a strong and well-documented
case in defense of it with one of his major points being that a "fair
society" is part of the social contract of America. Affirmative action in
education is the consideration of race and ethnicity in determining
admission to institutions of higher learning, in undergraduate, graduate and
professional programs. That is not to say that these two criteria are the
only ones as academic achievement, test scores and other conventional
measures are also considered. However, the policy allows for the admission
of those with lower than the benchmark for grades, scores etc. if the
individual is a member of a specified race or ethnicity. It is essentially
based on a "leveling of the playing field" concept that acknowledges the
socio-economic disadvantages, poorer neighborhoods, schools etc., that
minority groups must deal with in gaining equal access to opportunities. The
debate over the policy, which the author points out has been spirited for at
least three decades, arises from the fact that, with a limited number of
open spots, institutions, in admitting minorities with lower than benchmark
numbers, then deny admission to those who meet the benchmarks but are not
members of a minority group. Several Supreme Court cases, beginning in the
1970's and as recently as two decisions in 2003, have consistently come down
on the side of affirmative action. Laird begins the book with a look at the
issues in the two 2003 Supreme Court cases and then surveys the history of
the controversy going back to the earliest affirmative action programs (he
notes that Harvard Law School instituted the first one in 1966 but by the
early 1970's they were prevalent). He then provides his rationale for why
affirmative action matters. The remainder of the book is an historical look
at the legal, educational and societal aspects of this issue. He examines
various court cases and many affirmative action policies, showing flaws
where they existed, all the time providing an inside look at the program in
operation at UC Berkeley. He ends with a look at the future, which he sees
as presaging some trouble given the shifting demographics of this country
and the lack of planning at the state level. A final chapter offers a
proscription for admissions policy-makers in dealing with the future of the
policy. Three appendices reprint policies from the University of California
Board of Regents and the University of California at Berkeley on affirmative
action on admissions. The book ends with a lengthy bibliography and a
general index.