Backwards on Racial Understanding

Inside Higher Ed
April 10, 2012 - 3:00am
By
Scott Jaschik

One stereotype about college is that the experience encourages students to be more interested in diversity and promoting racial understanding. To some this is a great virtue of higher education; to critics, this suggests academe is too focused on diversity. What if they are all wrong?
A new study being presented at this year's annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association suggests that as undergraduates progress in higher education, they become less interested, on average, in promoting racial understanding. The study finds that this is true across racial groups -- although it finds some characteristics of the college experience that may make students more interested in racial understanding as they proceed from freshman to senior year.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/04/10/study-suggests-students-grow-less-interested-promoting-racial-understanding#ixzz1rfFew7YK
Inside Higher Ed

Selling out the truth to thwart affirmative action

Diverse Issues in Higher Education
by Dr. Ibram Rogers, January 27, 2012


I admire the glorious intellectual endeavor to discover and reveal the ever-changing, ever-remaining, ever-complicated, ever-simple fountain of truth—the sociological truth, the economic truth, the biological truth, the historical truth (to name a few).

But too often, too many academics sell out the truth. They sell the truth for causes, for careers, for funds, for conservatism, for liberalism, for radicalism. They sell the truth and force us to buy spurious conclusions.

This is what is occurring at Duke University. An unpublished, yet circulating, study by economist Peter Arcidiacono, economics graduate student Esteban M. Aucejo, and sociologist Kenneth I. Spenner has riled up the Black Student Alliance at the private university in Durham, N. C.

Full Story: http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/374/selling-out-the-truth-to-thwart-affirmative-action.html

What Spurs Students to Stay in College and Learn? Good Teaching Practices and Diversity

The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 6, 2011
By Dan Berrett
St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.

Good teaching and exposure to students from diverse backgrounds are some of the strongest predictors of whether freshmen return for a second year of college and improve their critical-thinking skills, say two prominent researchers.
Patrick T. Terenzini, a professor of higher education at Pennsylvania State University, and Ernest T. Pascarella, a co-director of the Center for Research on Undergraduate Education at the University of Iowa, spoke to an audience of chief academic and fund-raising officers convened by the Council of Independent Colleges here on Sunday.
The two men are co-authors of a highly influential book, How College Affects Students, and they sought on Sunday to synthesize what recent research says about student learning, while also weighing in on recent controversies in higher-education research.

Full Story: http://chronicle.com/article/What-Spurs-Students-to-Stay-in/129670/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Nearly Half of Students Experienced Sexual Harassment at School Last Year

American Association of University Women
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE11/07/2011
Contact:Katie Broendel, broendelk@aauw.org202/785-7761
Lisa Goodnight, goodnightl@aauw.org202/785-7738

Nearly Half of Students Experienced Sexual Harassment at School Last Year
AAUW Releases Most Comprehensive Research on Sexual Harassment at School in a Decade

WASHINGTON — The American Association of University Women (AAUW) today released Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School, the most comprehensive, nationally representative research conducted in the past 10 years on sexual harassment in middle and high schools.
Sexual harassment pervades the lives of students in grades 7–12. Nearly half of those surveyed reported that they had been harassed in the 2010–11 school year. Of that number, a majority (87 percent) said that being harassed had a negative effect on them. Among the responses, one-third said they did not want to go to school as a result of the harassment. Another third said they felt sick to their stomachs.
The prevalence of sexual harassment in middle and high school comes as a surprise to many, in part because it is rarely reported. Only about 9 percent of harassed students told a teacher, guidance counselor, or other adult at school about being sexually harassed.
"The AAUW report Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment at School is a call to action to students, parents, teachers, and all of us who are concerned about the next generation," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "Many students feel sexual harassment is normal behavior, and often victims of sexual harassment in turn victimize other children. It's a vicious cycle that exacts an enduring emotional toll on students."
Included in the report are promising practices for how teachers, parents, and community groups in particular can help change the school climate.
"The good news is that the more we know about sexual harassment at school, the better we can combat it," said AAUW Director of Research and co-author Catherine Hill. "This report is nationally representative and provides fresh insight into this problem."
Creating, publicizing, and enforcing sexual harassment policies and adhering to the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 are other ways schools can bring attention to the issue and chip away at the problem.
"Our report clearly shows that, in many instances, we are failing to provide the safe environment necessary for our children to succeed," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "Children and their families are too often left to fend for themselves when kids are harassed. Congress needs to strengthen federal protection for all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, perceived gender identity, or religion."
On Tuesday, November 15, AAUW will host an event at the National Press Club on the topic featuring Rosalind Wiseman, an AAUW fellowship recipient, youth expert, and author of Queen Bees and Wannabes, the book that inspired the film Mean Girls; Kedrick Griffin, senior director of programs at Men Can Stop Rape; and Ileana Jiménez, educator at the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in New York.

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The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections.

http://www.aauw.org/media/pressreleases/crossingtheline_110711.cfm

Commentary: The Research-Practice Gap – Diversity Predicts Performance

Diverse Issues in Higher Education
by Dr. David A. Kravitz and Dr. Renee Yuengling , September 29, 2011

Stories about generation differences are ubiquitous in the diversity domain, with executives and managers being warned that they must change their organizational cultures, policies and practices if they hope to attract and retain younger workers. In today’s column, we discuss two recent studies that address these questions and offer some surprising answers.
Kali Trzesniewski (University of Western Ontario) and her colleague Brent Donnellan (Michigan State University) analyzed data obtained from high school seniors annually from 1976 through 2006.

Full Story: http://diverseeducation.com/article/16453/

Change for Chief Diversity Officers

Inside Higher Ed
August 12, 2011

A new survey suggests that the position of chief diversity officer may soon see significant changes. The survey, by the search firm Witt/Kieffer, found that half of chief diversity officers at colleges plan to leave their positions within three years.

Such turnover could lead to significant changes in the position at some institutions. More than 43 percent of respondents said that they were the first such employees to hold the title at their respective institutions. The survey was based on answers from 94 chief diversity officers at a representative sample of four-year institutions.

Full Story: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/12/survey_provides_data_on_chief_diversity_officers

For a copy of the report, click here:
http://www.wittkieffer.com/file/thought-leadership/practice/CDO%20survey%20results%20August%202011.pdf

Coaching Urged for Women

WSJ.com
MANAGEMENT
APRIL 4, 2011

By JOANN S. LUBLIN
Inadequate career development has kept women from reaching the top ranks of the corporate ladder, according to a report set to be released Tuesday by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. The report, which examines barriers to women's advancement in corporations, is primarily based on a 2011 survey of 2,525 college-educated men and women, including 1,525 individuals employed by large companies, mainly in management.
Despite efforts by major companies, just a handful of women have ascended to the leadership pinnacle, the McKinsey report concluded. Only 11 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies are women, down from a peak of 15 in 2010, according to a spokeswoman for Catalyst Inc., a nonprofit women's research group. There were two Fortune 500 female CEOs in 2000, up from one in 1995, Catalyst said in a 2000 report.

Full Story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704530204576237203974840800.html?mod=wsj_share_linkedin

State of diversity in corporate world questioned

Torch (Roosevelt University)
By Tyeshia Pinckney -->
Staff reporter
Published: Sunday, April 17, 2011
Updated: Sunday, April 17, 2011 20:04

Diversity is a factor many companies across the nation pride themselves on, but several are not as diverse as they claim and are rewarded for, according to research by professor David Embrick.
In a presentation on Wednesday at Roosevelt University, titled "Diversity In Post-Civil Rights Corporate America: Race, Gender and Diversity Ideology," the Loyola University sociology professor explored the state of diversity in some of the countries' most prominent companies.
The event, hosted by the sociology department and the Mansfield Institute of Social Justice and Transformation, highlighted the diversity of women and minorities in the workplace through research and interviews conducted by Embrick.

Full Story: http://www.roosevelttorch.com/sections/news/state-of-diversity-in-corporate-world-questioned-1.2544837#

The “Reverse Discrimination Sentiment”

The Chronicle of Higher Education April 5, 2011, 5:33 pm By Richard Kahlenberg As Peter Schmidt reported in The Chronicle, new research to be presented at the American Educational Research Association next week finds that Americans “see minority students as having much greater advantages in seeking access to college than is actually the case.” The findings appear to suggest that the existence of affirmative action at highly selective institution generates a general (and factually incorrect) sense among whites that minority students are actually more likely to have access to college generally. The findings come from a paper entitled, “The Blind Side: Americans’ Perceptions of Inequalities in College Access,” authored by Indiana University sociology professor Brian Powell and doctoral students Kristin M. Jordan and Oren Pizmony-Levy. The authors, using data from a 2007 survey by Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, find, as reported by Schmidt, that “nearly a fourth of respondents said qualified students who are racial and ethnicity minorities have more opportunity to attend college than others. Just under a fifth said students from low-income families have an advantage over others, and about a tenth said qualified students from middle-class families are better off than others when it comes to college access.” Full Story: http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-%e2%80%9creverse-discrimination-sentiment%e2%80%9d/29153?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Center for Women Policy Studies Releases Papers on Women and Girls with Disabilities

Center for Women Policy Studies

2011 online series of new Barbara Waxman Fiduccia Papers On Women and Girls With Disabilities
In 2011, the Center launched an online series of new Barbara Waxman Fiduccia Papers On Women and Girls with Disabilities. The 2011 Barbara Waxman Fiduccia Papers will present the self-defined perspectives of women with disabilities – both in the USA and globally – on such topics as: access to health care, reproductive rights and health, violence against women and girls, women and AIDS, educational equity, family life and parenting, employment and economic development, balancing work and family, participation in Government at every level – from local to national to international.February 2011
Bringing Together Feminist Disability Studies and Environmental JusticeAuthor: Valerie Ann Johnson
The Rights of Women With Disabilities in Africa: Does the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa Offer Any Hope?Author: Serges Alain Djoyou Kamga
What’s A Leg Got To Do With It?: Black, Female and Disabled in AmericaAuthor: Donna R. Walton, Ed.D.

http://www.centerwomenpolicy.org/programs/waxmanfiduccia/2011OnlineSeriesBarbaraWaxmanFiduccia.asp

Oxford’s Research-Based Affirmative Action

The Chronicle of Higher Education
December 10, 2010, 2:58 pm
By Richard Kahlenberg
A large-scale British study, released last week, gives new empirical support for the drive to provide affirmative action to “strivers,” less advantaged students who, despite obstacles, perform fairly well academically. The research finds that students who attended regular “comprehensive” (public) secondary schools did better in college than those who scored at the same level on standardized admissions exams and attended “independent” (private) or “grammar” (selective public) schools.
Pointing to the study last week, Oxford University’s dean of undergraduate admissions, Mike Nicholson, created waves when he declared that students who do well at poor performing secondary schools “may have more potential” than those from more-advantaged schools, and that universities should consider the context in which students compile an academic record. In the United States, universities have claimed for years that admissions officers consider socioeconomic obstacles a student has overcome, though evidence suggests that on average, at the most selective 146 institutions, they do not.

Full Story: http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/oxford%e2%80%99s-research-based-affirmative-action/28094?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

Experiment Finds Race Trumps A Prestigious Degree

Forbes.com
Daniel Fisher
Full Disclosure
October 19, 2010

An experiment designed to test perceptions of affirmative action found that independent observers rated companies significantly lower when they were told the top executives were African-American graduates of prestigious universities, instead of white. The difference went away when the executives were said to have graduated from less selective schools, and when the evaluators were told that the more selective schools exercised race-blind admissions.

The study, by researchers at Clarkson University, the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and the May Group Family Fund, suggests that people assume minority candidates receive preferential treatment at more selective schools and discount their professional skills as a result.

Full Story: http://blogs.forbes.com/danielfisher/2010/10/19/experiment-finds-race-trumps-a-prestigious-degree/?boxes=financechannelforbes

'Motherhood Gap' Explains Differences in Gender Wages

SHRM.org
10/14/2010
By Stephen Miller

Debate over the persistent pay disparity between men and women isn't likely to abate anytime soon, but a new study sheds light on the issue—or perhaps tosses more fuel on the fire.
Motherhood is the culprit behind unexplained but significant wage losses for working women in North America, according to the TD Economics report, Career Interrupted—The Economic Impact of Motherhood. The report suggest this "motherhood gap" in wages largely occurs because of wage penalties mothers experience each time they exit and re-enter the workforce.
"Previous studies on wage differences by gender have found that roughly half of an observed 20 percent gender gap cannot be explained by the usual factors that drive wages, such as experience, hours worked, occupation, industry, age and the like," said report co-author Beata Caranci, deputy chief economist at TD Economics. "The research leads us to conclude that exits from the labor force, most often related to family or motherhood—not gender—are the culprit behind this 'unexplained' wage gap."

Full Story: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/compensation/Articles/Pages/MotherhoodGap.aspx

U.S. Must Involve Underrepresented Minorities in Science and Engineering

News from the National Academies
U.S. Must Involve Underrepresented Minorities in Science and Engineering
To Maintain Competitive Edge

Sept. 30, 2010 -- National efforts to strengthen U.S. science and engineering must include all Americans, especially minorities, who are the fastest growing groups of the U.S. population but the most underrepresented in science and technology careers, says a new report from the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Minority participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at all levels should be an urgent national priority, says the report, which offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education.

"It's well-documented that the United States needs a strong science and technology work force to maintain global leadership and competitiveness," said Freeman Hrabowski III, chair of the committee that wrote the report and president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "The minds and talents of underrepresented minorities are a great, untapped resource that the nation can no longer afford to squander. Improving STEM education of our diverse citizenry will strengthen the science and engineering work force and boost the U.S. economy."

The U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years. However, non-U.S. citizens, particularly those from India and China, have accounted for almost all growth in STEM doctorates awarded, and a number of science and engineering disciplines are heavily populated by international students. Relying on these students to fulfill U.S. science and technology needs is becoming "increasingly uncertain" for many reasons, the congressionally mandated report says, including stricter visa requirements and the possibility that students will return to their countries of origin after completing their education.

Underrepresented minorities -- including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans -- comprised just over 9 percent of minority college-educated Americans in science and engineering occupations in 2006, the report notes. This number would need to triple to match the share of minorities in the U.S. population. And to reach a national target that 10 percent of all 24-year-olds hold an undergraduate degree in science or engineering disciplines, the number of underrepresented minorities would need to quadruple or even quintuple.

The report's recommendations build upon Rising Above the Gathering Storm, a landmark 2005 publication from the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine that urged improvements in STEM education at all levels as part of a larger plan to sustain U.S. scientific and technological leadership. To be successful, the new report says, these efforts must include an ongoing, comprehensive approach to encourage underrepresented minorities to pursue science and engineering degrees. In the short term, the nation should work to double the number of those who receive undergraduate STEM degrees, a goal that is "a reasonable and attainable down payment on a longer-term effort to achieve greater parity overall." Studies show that minorities major in STEM at the same rate as do other groups but are more likely not to complete degrees or to change majors.

To reach this goal, higher education institutions should create programs that provide underrepresented minority students in STEM with strong financial, academic, and social support. Financial support will allow them to complete their degrees and better prepare for the work force or graduate school. The committee estimated that such programs would cost approximately $150 million annually, eventually rising to about $600 million per year as more students are included.

In addition, K-12 STEM teachers need better preparation, and high school programs should emphasize college readiness, the report says. Few students who require remedial courses beyond high school complete undergraduate degrees in STEM, the report says. Secondary school programs that guarantee students have access to advanced courses and proper academic advising would ensure underrepresented minorities are fully prepared for college and improve graduation rates. The federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions should work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training.

Long-term actions recommended in the report include offering stronger programs that develop reading, mathematics skills, and creativity in preschool through third grade, and improving the quality of K-12 mathematics and science education for underrepresented minorities.

The challenge of increasing underrepresented minority participation and success in STEM is so substantial that it requires commitment from every type and size of learning institution -- from community colleges to large state schools, and from predominantly white institutions to those that historically serve minorities, the report says. All of these institutions should be held accountable, and efforts should focus not only on increasing the number of minorities in STEM but also on the quality of the education they receive.

Leadership is key to successful implementation of minority recruitment and retention programs and is required from all stakeholders, including government agencies, employers, and professional societies. At institutions of higher education, regents, trustees, presidents, provosts, deans, and department chairs must make minority participation a commitment both in the institutional mission and in everyday affairs. In addition, leaders must be more aggressive in ensuring that underrepresented minority teachers, faculty, and administrators are able to serve as role models and leaders.

The study was sponsored by NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Otto Haas Charitable Trust #2. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. A committee roster follows.

Copies of Expanding Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed below). In addition, a podcast of the public briefing held to release this report is available at http://national-academies.org/podcast.

Contacts: Sara Frueh, Media Relations Officer
Molly Galvin, Senior Media Relations Officer
Luwam Yeibio, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail

# # #

[ This news release and report are available at http://national-academies.org ]

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy

Committee on U.S. Competitiveness: Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the Science and Engineering Workforce Pipeline
Freeman A. Hrabowski III (chair)PresidentUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyBaltimoreJames H. AmmonsPresidentFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahasseeSandra Begay-CampbellPrincipal Member of the Technical StaffSandia National LaboratoriesAlbuquerque, N.M.Beatriz Chu ClewellPrincipal Research AssociateEducation Policy CenterThe Urban InstituteWashington, D.C. Nancy S. GrasmickState Superintendent of SchoolsMaryland State Department of EducationBaltimore

Carlos G. GutierrezProfessor of Chemistry and BiochemistryCalifornia State UniversityLos Angeles

Evelynn M. HammondsDeanHarvard CollegeCambridge, Mass.Wesley L. Harris 1Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and, Associate ProvostMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge

Sylvia HurtadoProfessor and DirectorHigher Education Research InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesJames S. Jackson 2DirectorInstitute for Social Research, and Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor of PsychologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborShirley M. McBayPresidentQuality Education for Minorities NetworkWashington, D.C.
Diana S. Natalicio
President
University of Texas
El PasoJohn C. NemethIAT Project Principal and Vice PresidentOak Ridge Associated UniversitiesOak Ridge, Tenn. Eduardo J. PadronPresidentMiami-Dade CollegeMiamiWillie Pearson Jr.Professor and ChairSchool of History, Technology, and SocietyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaSidney A. RibeauPresidentHoward UniversityWashington, D.C.

John B. Slaughter 1Professor of Education and EngineeringUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesRichard A. Tapia 1University Professor and Maxfield-Oshman Professor in EngineeringRice UniversityHoustonLydia Villa-KomaroffChief Scientific Officer Cytonome Inc.BostonLinda Sue WarnerPresidentHaskell Indian Nations UniversityLawrence, Kan.

RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF

Peter Henderson
Co-Study Director

Earnestine Psalmonds
Co-Study Director

1 Member, National Academy of Engineering2 Member, Institute of Medicine

ODEP: Now Available — Reports on Affirmative Action for People with Disabilities and Disabled Veterans in the Federal Contractor Sector

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy

As part of its mission, ODEP contracted with Economic Systems Inc. to assess existing affirmative action policies applicable to people with disabilities and disabled veterans. Specifically, the policies set out in the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 503) and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) were evaluated to determine whether and how Federal contractor affirmative action programs might be modernized as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce barriers to employment and eliminate earnings gaps.
The researchers produced two reports:
Volume I: Data Sources and Models
Volume II: Modernizing Affirmative Action
Review the researcher’s findings and conclusions (under “Affirmative Action”)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/

AAAA Comment: Amending the Section 503 Regulations to make disability affirmative action programs more comparable to the Executive Order 11246 programs will have major record keeping and other implications for employers. This report and the OFCCP's Advance Notice of Proposed Rule making should be read and comments should be filed with the Department of Labor.

For working mothers in academia, tenure track is often a tough balancing act

The Washington Post
By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 11, 2010

The tenure system of academia is uniquely incompatible with the biological clocks of working women, according to a new study, one of the first to examine the persistent "leak" of talented women from the pipeline that For women intent on becoming both scholars and mothers, the timing of the tenure track could not be worse. The average female doctorate is awarded at 34, an age when many college-educated women are starting families. Tenure, a defining moment in a professor's career, is decided roughly seven years later, just as the parenting window is closing.
Researchers from Barnard College in New York interviewed 21 women, all striving to be supermoms at the most demanding time in their careers. Many of the women portrayed their work and family lives in irreconcilable conflict. One mother described working in "survival mode," just doing "the things that I can to not be kicked out." Another said she was no longer being invited to career-building speaking gigs. A third faced the hard truth that she was "never going to be one of those superstars." produces professors.

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/10/AR2010071002610.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzhead

Low-Income Young Adults are the New Face of the College-Going Population

Institute for Higher Education Policy
CONTACT
Tia T. Gordon
TTG+Partners
202 372 7204
tgordon@ttgpartners.com

Low-Income Young Adults are the New Face of the College-Going Population
New Data Show Increased College Opportunity for Poor Youth, But Getting Out of Poverty Remains Elusive

Washington, D.C., June 9, 2010—At a time when President Obama has declared that “in the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education,”* the nation's 35.2 million young adults are increasingly seeking the social and economic benefits experienced only through postsecondary education. In fact, nearly 60 percent of young adults from low-income backgrounds had attended, or earned a credential from a postsecondary institution in 2008. However, despite the high levels of engagement, one in 10 impoverished young adults who had earned a college degree failed to immediately transcend the poverty threshold.
The new brief, A Portrait of Low-Income Young Adults in Education, is the first of a new publication series called “Portraits” being launched today by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). The paper draws from the most recent national data to describe the population of low-income young adults—between ages 18 and 26 and whose total household income is near or below the federal poverty level—and situates them in the context of national college completion goals. It specifically outlines the demographic characteristics of low-income young adults while providing a brief overview of their pre-college and degree attainment trends.
SNAPSHOT OF LOW-INCOME YOUNG ADULTS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES Pre-College
In 2008, 44 percent of all young adults in the United States were from a low-income background. In terms of their highest level of education, one out of four young adults in poverty had earned a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED), while 18 percent left high school without attaining a diploma.Differences by Race/Ethnicity
Young Black, Hispanic, and Native American students from low-income backgrounds represented larger shares of high school non-completers than Whites or Asians, which significantly decreased the proportion of the former who were able to enter postsecondary education in the traditional way.
Despite lagging behind similar Whites and Asians, the proportion of low-income young Black and Hispanic adults who have some postsecondary education but no degree has been increasing at a faster rate than their White and Asian counterparts. Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of low-income young adults who have some postsecondary education experience increased by 5 percent for Blacks and 8 percent for Hispanics, compared to 3 percent for Whites and 2 percent for Asians. Degree Attainment
White students from low-income backgrounds were twice as likely as their Black and Hispanic counterparts to attain a postsecondary credential (14 percent vs. 6 percent and 7 percent, respectively) but remain poor.
"While it was surprising to learn low-income young adults are entering postsecondary education in increased numbers comparable to other students, it was equally astonishing to discover this population continues to struggle with earning a living wage even after obtaining their hard earned credentials," said IHEP President Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D. "These students already face considerable barriers on their path to earn a postsecondary degree, so it would certainly benefit them the most to take full advantage of improved income outcomes."
Subsequent Portraits briefs will explore potential causes for these findings by examining low-income young adults’ educational aspirations and academic preparation, movement in and between institutions, financial aid and debt burdens and, ultimately, educational outcomes.
The publication series is part of IHEP’s “Changing the Debate” initiative, which is set to bring timely, thought-provoking, and data-driven research and promising interventions to the policy debate. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project findings will contribute to the national discussion about how economic opportunities may not be immediately felt among disadvantaged, and largely understudied, student populations simply by increasing degree completion. For more information about the Portraits series or to download a free copy of the A Portrait of Low-Income Young Adults in Education brief, please visit IHEP’s Web site at www.ihep.org.
*Comments taken from President Obama’s “State of the Union” address delivered on Jan. 27, 2010.
About the Institute for Higher Education Policy--->
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) is an independent, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to increasing access and success in postsecondary education around the world. Established in 1993, the Washington, D.C.-based organization uses unique research and innovative programs to inform key decision makers who shape public policy and support economic and social development. IHEP’s web site, www.Ihep.org, features an expansive collection of higher education information available free of charge and provides access to some of the most respected professionals in the fields of public policy and research.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation--->Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and Co-Chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
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http://www.ihep.org/press-room/news_release-detail.cfm?id=184

Racial bias tied to levels of inflammation protein

The Boston Globe
February 8, 2010

Experiencing frequent racial discrimination, from signs of disrespect to outright harassment, has been linked to poor health. A new study pinpoints one protein that may be involved in higher rates of cardiovascular disease among people facing racial bias.
Tene Lewis of the Yale School of Public Health led a team that asked almost 300 African-Americans, whose average age was 73, about discrimination they felt in their daily lives. The participants filled out questionnaires, had physical exams, answered questions about their medical histories, and gave blood samples that were used to determine levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP. The protein, which increases with inflammation, has been tied to cardiovascular disease.
Participants were divided into high-, moderate- and low-discrimination groups, and those who reported experiencing the highest level of discrimination had CRP values that were 60 percent higher than those in the low-discrimination group, the researchers found.

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/02/08/racial_bias_tied_to_levels_of_inflammation_protein/

MIT faculty study finds diversity is lacking

The Boston Globe
By Tracy Jan
Globe Staff / January 15, 2010

MIT must do a better job recruiting and retaining black and Hispanic faculty, who have a harder time getting promoted than their white and Asian colleagues, if the university expects to remain competitive, according to a strikingly candid internal study released yesterday by the university.
In some departments - such as chemistry, mathematics, and nuclear science and engineering - no black and Hispanic professors have been hired in the last two decades, according to the report, which was more than two years in the making.
MIT’s first comprehensive study of its faculty’s racial diversity and the experience of underrepresented minority professors highlights a national problem across academia: the need to improve the pipeline of black and Hispanic scholars, especially in the fields of science and engineering.
The report urges the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to become more self-reflective and to better appreciate the challenges facing minority faculty, who feel that their qualification to be at the institute is sometimes questioned and who are more likely to leave MIT in their first three to five years.
“There is a tension between the ideas of maintaining high excellence and including a broader range of groups,’’ said Paula Hammond, an African-American chemical engineering professor, who chaired MIT’s Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity. “But we believe that inclusiveness can lead to excellence, rather than impede it.’’
Blacks and Hispanics make up only 6 percent of MIT’s 1,013-member faculty, an increase from 4.5 percent since 2000 but far below the university’s goal of achieving parity with the nation, where underrepresented minorities constitute 30 percent of the population. MIT’s rate is comparable to research universities such as Harvard and Stanford.
The report indicates that the university needs to provide more mentoring and expand professional opportunities to make the climate at MIT more welcoming to underrepresented groups, which include blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans.
Asian faculty, which make up nearly 13 percent of MIT professors, are not underrepresented, but share some of the same concerns about MIT’s racial climate.

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/15/mit_faculty_study_finds_diversity_is_lacking/

Assessing the Impact of Eliminating Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Inside Higher Ed
January 11, 2010

A study in the new issue of the Journal of Labor Economics is the latest to project declines in black and Latino enrollment -- especially at certain institutions -- if all colleges had to use race-neutral admissions policies. The new study is consistent with past analyses in finding that the overall decline would be modest (a 2 percent drop at four-year colleges and universities), but that it would be more significant (a 10 percent drop) at the institutions with the most competitive admissions. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/01/11/qt#217227

Chicago Journal of Labor Economics
Jessica S. Howell,
California State University, Sacramento

Abstract:
This research examines the determinants of the match between high school seniors and postsecondary institutions in the United States. I model college application decisions as a nonsequential search problem and specify a unified structural model of college application, admission, and matriculation decisions that are all functions of unobservable individual heterogeneity. The results indicate that black and Hispanic representation at all 4‐year colleges is predicted to decline modestly—by 2%—if race‐neutral college admissions policies are mandated nationwide. However, race‐neutral admissions are predicted to decrease minority representation at the most selective 4‐year institutions by 10%. http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/648415

For a full copy of the abstracted study, click here: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/h/howellj/papers/Howell_JOLE_identifyinginfo.pdf