I like this balanced look at what the Supreme Court decision in the UT affirmative action case means for state universities. “For supporters of affirmative action, I’d put it in the category of disaster averted rather than victory achieved,” said David A. Strauss, a law professor at the University of Chicago.
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The case challenging the University of Texas' use of race in admissions decisions is heating up. The Obama administration this week urged the Supreme Court to continue to allow universities to take race into account.
The New York Times took a look at how UT-Austin puts together its freshman class beyond the top 10 percent and what role race plays. The process, known as holistic review, allows the university to shape a diverse class with the interests and talents to make good use of university resources, said William Powers Jr., the campus president. This issue is the subject of a lawsuit against the university that is headed to the Supreme Court in the fall.
I was surprised to learn that of the five cases involving race-based admission that the Supreme Court has considered, three have involved UT. Paul Burka breaks down UT's contentious history.
A case stemming from an admissions decision at the University of Texas at Austin is heading to the Supreme Court.
This NPR piece outlines the controversy well: a white Texas high school student who is not in the top 10 percent is denied admission to UT. She argues that she would have gotten a spot in the general application pool if race had not been a factor. Abigail Fisher eventually went to LSU but continued to press her case. Since the Supreme Court said it would hear the case, the issue of race-based admission policy has been a subject of nonstop debate on websites across the country. Texas lawmakers apparently will take up the issue themselves in the 2013 legislative session, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
AuthorLinda Leavell is The Write Coach, based in Plano, Texas. She reads a lot about college admissions and writing essays. And she shares the best stuff. Or you can follow her on Facebook. 
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