A Commentary On Supreme Court Cases: Students for ‘Fair’ Admissions v. UNC & Harvard
College Admissions, ‘Race Neutrality’, & Preferences Based On Race … As One Small Part Of The College Admissions Process
… Speaking as a College Administrator & Teaching Faculty Professor for 20+ Years …
… The College Admissions Process cannot be Exclusively Analyzed via … a Statistically Significant … Quantitative … OR … Qualitative Methodology …
… Using One without the Other … Leaves The Analysis Short … Of Considering The Entire Picture …
… In order to Adequately Use and Analyze … the ‘Simulations’ Presented in the recent Supreme Court Cases …
… Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC & Harvard …
… A Person Should Analyze Those ‘Simulations’ … and the Plaintiffs Arguments … in Both Cases …
… Not Only Quantitatively … with respect to the Outcomes of those ‘Simulations’ …
… But Also Qualitatively … with respect to what went into Creating the Disparity That Persistently Exists …
… Between Underrepresented African American, Hispanic, & Native American Student Admissions Applicants to College at UNC & Harvard …
… In other words … Were the K-12 Educational Experiences “Equal” or Fair … as per the 14th Amendment …
… Relative to Adequately Preparing Each Racial Group … For College Success …
… Were The White & Asian Students … Equally Prepared … Or … On Balance Better Prepared …
… Than The Black, Hispanic, & Native American Student Populations? …
… Qualitatively Speaking … The Answer is a … Resounding No …
… However …
… Quantitatively Speaking … ‘The Simulations Produce Acceptable Attrition’ … According to the Plaintiffs …
… Relative To Losing ~ 5% to 10% of the African American Student Enrolled Populations …
… Thus … Effectively Reducing Those Black Student Populations … At State Universities like UNC … & … Private Ivy League Universities Like Harvard … By 5% to 10% …
… When one uses Exclusively Quantitative Outcomes … In every Plaintiff Presented ‘Simulation’ … African American Student Populations Lose Admitted Student Populations …
… In the range of 5% to 10% of Admitted Students …
… Again … In Every Plaintiff Presented ‘Simulation’ …
… The ‘Simulations’ Cause Those Schools … And Others Similarly Situated … To Lose … 5% to 10% of The Black Student Population …
… In My Opinion … That Is Not An Acceptable Quantitative Outcome …
… Even If It Means Implementing “Race Neutral Policies” … Relative to the College Admissions Applications Process …
… Those Are Aspiring College Students … With The Same Hopes & Dreams … As The Other Members Of Their College Admissions Application Cohort …
… Who Were Simply Academically Underprepared … at the K-12 Levels … To Attain Academic Success In College …
… At BOTH UNC & Harvard …
… That says nothing about how many Black Students … Will be Retained … And Proceed toward Graduation … In a Timely Manner …
… In The Final Analysis …
… Were the 13th, 14th, & 15th Amendments … as well as Brown v. Board of Education About …
… ‘Racial Neutrality’ Expressed Toward Each Student Population …
… Without Particular Respect … Specifically Demonstrated Toward African American Underrepresented Student Populations? …
… In The 1860s – 1870s … as well as … In The 1950s? …
… Or …
… Were those Legal & Constitutional Landmarks about … ‘Simulations’, Empirical Numerical Examination, … & Quantitative Analysis …
… Which Obfuscate the Concurrent … Qualitative Realities …
… In Other Words …
… It Is acceptable to lose 5% to 10% of African American College Matriculants …
… Because … Over 20 Years Ago … in Grutter v. Bollinger … Justice O’Conner Said …