(1997). The Continuing Struggle: Civil Rights and the Clinton Administration. Report of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights. In 1993 the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights concluded that the election of Bill Clinton as President presented a new opportunity to work toward equal opportunity. In 1995, at the midpoint of his first term, the Commission identified the new and often formidable challenges his administration was facing in dealing with issues of equal opportunity and fair treatment. In many respects, the Commission noted, the Clinton administration had made a good beginning in dealing with Federal civil rights performance, but that it remained at the beginning stages of a revitalization of civil rights enforcement. A particular problem was the slow pace of the Clinton administration in filling key civil rights positions, so much so that the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was not appointed until just before the 1994 election. Part One of this report presents the findings and recommendations of the Citizens' Commission in the context of welfare reform legislation. Part Two… [PDF]
(1991). Lost Opportunities: The Civil Rights Record of the Bush Administration Mid-Term. This study of the civil rights policies and practices of the Bush Administration reviews the first 2 years of that administration's actions, presents recommendations for the future, and offers a series of working papers prepared by experts in the civil rights field. Part 1 of two major parts presents the actual report of the Citizen's Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan group of former officials of the Federal Government. That report treats civil rights policy and enforcement in the Bush Administration and offers seven recommendations for change. Part 2 presents 22 working papers on civil rights that deal with the following topics: (1) the Civil Rights Act of 1990; (2) education (enforcement in elementary and secondary education, sex discrimination, and minority access to higher education); (3) employment rights (equal employment opportunity and employment rights of older Americans); (4) immigration; (5) health (civil rights impact on national health policies and challenges… [PDF]
(1978). After Bakke: The Role of the States. Factors contributing to the underrepresentation of minority groups in higher education and professional schools are discussed, along with suggestions for state postsecondary education agencies and for state legislative and executive branches in light of the Bakke decision. A 1977 Educational Testing Service study concluded that if admissions committees were forced to disregard racial factors, the numbers of minorities in law schools would be greatly reduced and that most of them would attend the least effective institutions. It is noted that underrepresentation of minorities in graduate and professional schools is linked not only to early educational experiences, but also such influences in student background as health, nutrition, family influences, and general living conditiions. Suggestions to state higher education agencies include the following; disseminate accurate information about the Bakke decision to policy-makers, identify and disseminate admissions models that may help… [PDF]
(1991). Catonsville Community College Plans, 1990-91. The purpose of the planning process at Catonsville Community College (CCC) in Maryland is to improve communication and decision making within the organization, to capitalize on the diverse talents and skills of the faculty and staff, and to use the limited resources of the college in ways that best fulfill the institution's mission. The five major steps in the planning process are: information gathering, identifying trends affecting CCC, setting goals and objectives, relating planning to the budget, and reporting outcomes. This five-part 1990-91 planning report for CCC describes the planning process; reviews the committees and personnel involved in the process; presents the planning agenda; examines 10 trends affecting the college and lists the college's goals for addressing these trends; and describes CCC's objectives for 1990-91 in the areas of administration, affirmative action, continuing education, planning and development, the president's staff, student services, and… [PDF]
(1988). Losing Count: The Federal Statistical System. Population Trends and Public Policy Occasional Paper Number 16. The main responsibility of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Centers for Health and Education Statistics is to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate statistical data on the economic, physical, and social characteristics of the United States. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, the federal statistical system was curtailed because of major shifts in government policies and the subsequent budget cuts. Statistics have a powerful impact on the economy, and public and private use of federal statistics include: (1) the determination of workers' and retirees' income; (2) moving from market research to affirmative action programs; (3) allocation of monies for domestic assistance programs; (4) research in many fields; and (5) comparison studies. Under the budget constraints, which meant that in the future fewer statistics would be available, federal agencies were beginning to: (1) collect information less frequently; (2) reduce the sample…
(1981). Legal Issues in the Desegregation of Postsecondary Education. The Postsecondary Desegregation Project, Report II. The application of constitutional principles of desegregation, derived from the context of primary and secondary education, to the postsecondary education setting, is addressed in the second of eight reports from the Postsecondary Desegregation Project at Vanderbilt University. The role of the U.S. Department of Education in enforcing the nondiscrimination provisions of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is also examined. Attention is directed to the major Supreme Court desegregation decisions, and the controlling principles of liability in non-southern contexts are identified. A rationale to explain the Court's approach to the problem of remedying the effects of governmentally imposed segregation is developed, and postsecondary desegregation cases that have arisen in the states of Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia are considered. While the case law with respect to desegregation of public primary and secondary schools is rather well developed, case law with respect to… [PDF]
(1995). If You Take the King's Shilling, You Do the King's Bidding: Funding and Censorship of Public Television Programs. Public broadcasting in the United States frequently draws criticism from conservatives who accuse it of pursuing an agenda promoting environmentalism, gay rights, affirmative action, reproductive choice, and other liberal causes, and of being hostile to conservative interests such as defense, the pro-life effort, and the promotion of Christian values. To date, concerns over censorship in public television have focused, not on overt efforts by Congress to determine the bounds of acceptable programs, but on not-so-subtle pressure at both the national and the local level to self-censor or risk loss of funding. Several recent cases of controversial programs have led to calls for ties between funding of the public television system and program content–programs such as "Tongues Untied,""Portrait of a Marriage," and "Tales of the City." Assessing the constitutionality of possible future efforts by Congress to place content-related conditions on the funding of… [PDF]
(1987). Black Health Issues in New York State: Condition, Prognosis, Prescription. Executive Summary. Preliminary Report, Health Subcommittee. The Governor's Advisory Committee for Black Affairs. Volume 1, Health. This document summarizes a review of the health problems of blacks in New York. The review comprises the first volume of a study of the needs of the two million blacks in New York. The health status of blacks is examined in each of the following phases of the life cycle: (1) maternal; (2) infancy; (3) childhood; (4) adolescence; (5) adulthood; and (6) the elder years. Related issues of services, access to and availability of medical care, and affirmative action to increase the number of medical and health care professionals to serve the black community are also reviewed. The following preliminary findings are outlined: (1) the health status of blacks has improved substantially in the past 5 years, but significant disparities continue to exist between blacks and other New Yorkers; (2) there is a clear connection between poverty and poor health, with a complex interaction of socioeconomic and behavioral factors adversely affecting the health and longevity of blacks; (3) blacks of all…
(1986). Justice Denied: The Loss of Civil Rights after the Grove City College Decision. The impact of the Supreme Court's 1984 Grove City College v. Bell decision on the interpretation of civil rights laws is discussed in this report. The Grove decision, it is argued, has made it possible for institutions to discriminate in programs which do not receive direct Federal aid. As a result, civil rights and affirmative action laws have become very difficult to enforce. First, the report outlines the following effects of the decision: (1) Federal audits or compliance reviews of institutions receiving tax dollars have been reduced or sharply limited; (2) civil rights agencies now investigate discrimination complaints only when Federal money is tied directly to the specific program or department of the institution in which the alleged discrimination took place; (3) compliance plans to end discrimination which were already in place before the Supreme Court ruling are now being revoked; (4) administration law judges are dismissing cases in which institutions refuse to…
(1976). Women and Career Options. Expanding Career Opportunities for Women in Higher Education. During the past several years, the place of women in American life has emerged as an issue of increasing importance and visibility. However, even though the struggle for women's rights has yielded considerable gains and affirmative action plans have served to accelerate the integration of women into the work force, the goal of full and equal opportunity for women is far from being an accomplished reality. Despite the magnitude of the problem, most colleges and universities have done relatively little to serve the particular needs of women undergraduates in this era of changing role perceptions. Similarly, women faculty are subject to the same problems that face most women professionals. In response to the perceived need to develop support services for undergraduate women interested in pursuing careers in nontraditional fields, to stimulate the integration of women faculty members into the university decision-making process, and to determine the impact of the collegiate environment…
(2005). Cross-Race Faculty Mentoring. Change, v37 n2 p44 Mar-Apr. There are many synonyms for the word \mentor\: coach, guide, role model, peer advisor, and sponsor, among others. The plethora of terms would suggest that we know something about this role, but most of the research on mentoring has been conducted in business and industry rather than in education. In fact, junior and senior faculty and administrators alike are often uncertain about how to foster effective mentoring relationships. This is especially true when faculty of color are recruited to predominantly white colleges and universities. Recent attacks on affirmative action have created a nationwide institutional paralysis when it comes to recruiting and retaining faculty of color. In comparison to majority faculty, the numbers of faculty of color in higher education remain disproportionately low. Mentoring is an important strategy for retaining these faculty members. There is nothing more isolating and alienating than to be the first or only person of one's race and/or ethnicity to…
(1993). Educational Equity and Inclusion: An Equity Atlas. RSC Study Report. A study was conducted at Rancho Santiago College (RSC) District campuses to determine the extent to which the college provides a welcoming, receptive, inclusive, friendly, and non-hostile environment for students of special groups, including minority students, older students, women students, and disabled students. Five areas of study related to an equitable campus climate were identified, including College and Community, Student Life and Comfort, Student Performance and Retention, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Faculty and Staff. Questionnaires were administered to a random sample of RSC students, to all staff and full-time faculty, and to high school seniors and staff in RSC's service area. In addition, interviews were conducted with RSC faculty and staff. Following an introduction, this report presents five detailed sections corresponding to the five areas of study. The first section provides analysis of responses to equity questionnaires completed by RSC faculty and students, and… [PDF]
(1981). On Campus with Women, Number 30. News items on the status and education of women are presented. Among the items pertaining to employment are the following: a survey of Harvard University graduates revealed that women had lower salaries and fewer professional responsibilities than the male graduates; and a Department of Labor report showed women college graduates are more likely to hold clerical positions, and less likely to have managerial status than their male colleagues. Publications pertaining to women's employment are briefly reviewed. Among the sexual harassment cases that are noted are the following: a case in which a professor sued five women who charged him with sexual harassment; and a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals at Washington, D.C., that permits a woman to sue her employer to stop sexual harassment on the job without having to prove that she resisted and lost her job as a result. Among the other types of court cases are: the quality-of-pension issues; the question of whether Title IX covers…
(2023). Our Service Academies Must Discard Race-Based Admissions. Academic Questions, v36 n4 p33-40. In "Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College ("SFFA")," the United States Supreme Court revisited an issue that had been litigated before it twenty years earlier. In two separate cases brought against the University of Michigan, the issue was whether it was a violation of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for the university to use "race" as a factor in student admissions. On June 23, 2003, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for a 5-4 majority in "Grutter v. Bollinger," declared that it was not. For the past two decades, according to the author, relying on Justice O'Connor's deeply-flawed reasoning in "Grutter" schools across the country, including service academies, have openly used race to benefit certain applicants and to racially discriminate against others. Fast forward twenty years, according to the author, and they remain perplexed by the continuing support for… [Direct]
(1992). The Basic Agenda: Policy Directions and Priorities for the Nineties (Revised July 1992). Draft. Each year, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC) develops and adopts a Basic Agenda that sets forth current priorities for the 107-college system. Guided by emerging trends and issues, this Basic Agenda constitutes the Board of Governor's long-range planning document for the 1990's. The report's preface and introduction describe the principal tasks of the CCC for the coming decade, which include maintaining the mission of the CCC; providing Californians, particularly those traditionally underrepresented in higher education and the workplace, with access to quality programs in transfer and career education, and in basic skills and English as a Second Language (ESL); providing effective leadership to the CCC through shared governance and management; helping the colleges become more cost effective; and maintaining quality instruction and student support services. The following five sections of the report examine in greater detail these aspects of mission;… [PDF]