- What is your policy? Provide specific definition of policy and or details.
My proposed policy involves practicing holistic approach in the admission of incoming college students. This policy mandates a classless and race-less preference when it comes to admitting incoming college freshmen. Under this policy, the campus must treat every applicant as a unique individual during the process of admission. This means that the candidate will be evaluated based on his/her overall record, talents and skills, potential over his/her existing records and documents. This includes not looking at the applicant’s race or social status as top factors when deciding whether or not to admit him/her in the university. In addition to a race and class-neutral admission process, colleges must also defer from considering a candidate’s GPA or SAT scores. This means that rather than considering the grades, the admission team must assess the applicant’s other talents which may range from musical composition and other artistic skills to scientific excellence and kinesthetic prowess. In other words, a student will be evaluated not on academic grades but on his/her strengths and interests. This type of policy not only increases diversity in educational institutions but it also effectively acknowledges the existence of different forms of intelligence. More importantly, the holistic admission approach enables educational institution to uphold equal rights and opportunities for everyone.
- What is the background/ history of your chosen policy?
The holistic admission approach policy roots primarily from the current discrimination prevalent among education institution when it comes to their admission policies (Kozol 102). More particularly, many universities and campuses today evaluate an applicant’s race, social status, as well as their GPAs and SATs main admission factors (Robinson-Brown 1). This is supposedly to increase an institution’s racial diversity as well as a way of the school to include and represent minorities in their campuses. In the same way, many universities argue that these characteristics are central to the fulfillment of the institution’s identity and educational mission. One of the most recent controversies that include this is the Fisher v. University of Texas, Austin case. In this legal hearing, the plaintiff, Abigail Fisher who was also a white student was denied admission to the University of Texas Austin despite the fact that she ranked as one of the highest in her high school class. Generally, candidates who belong to the top 10 percent of their class are automatically eligible for admission. Fisher claimed that she was evaluated based on her race. She asserted that that some of her non-white classmates were admitted in the said institution despite of their low grades. Fisher and her legal team therefore filed a case since they believed that this was a violation of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PBS 1). A legal hearing took place bit the District Court ruled in favor of the university. The case was then presented to the Supreme Court but was once again sent back to the lower court for additional analysis and review.
The affirmative action policies are currently being practiced by countless universities across the country. Under this regulation, educational institutions are allowed to use race as a factor for admission (Lao.ca.gov 1). This is said to increase the racial diversity on campuses (Anderson 1). However, many scholars point out that preference on an applicant’s race is no longer necessary for the mere fact that majority of universities today have an ethnically rich and diverse population.
- What is the ultimate goal of your policy? What are the intended consequences?
The primary objective of the holistic admission approach is to acknowledge that there are other and equally important types of intelligence other than the traditional academic type. That is, this policy encourages universities to hone students based on their skills, passions, innate talents, and potential. Holistic admission also inspires universities to instill on their students and staff the idea of equality. This is mainly because it looks at an applicant as a whole and unique individual rather than just selectively looking some of his/her aspects. In the process, this policy likewise inspires the institution to accept students that are diverse not just in the traditional racial or social class sense but also in terms of how they can contribute to the school community in interesting and meaningful ways. The intended consequence of the holistic admission approach is for the whole university as well as for their students to become enriched with a variety of knowledge, skills, talents, personalities, and characteristics.
- Address the issues and arguments of fairness by focusing on each of the five principles of distributive justice.
The issue of college admission can be discussed using the five principles of distributive justice which includes equity, equality, power, need, and responsibility. Distributive justice is a concept concerned with the fair allocation and distribution of resources among a diverse community. In terms of equity for example, applicants who has invested a lot of time and effort to improve their grades and skills should be given the opportunity to study in a university as compared to those who has done little to improve his/ herself. Fisher, for example, has done much work during in high school which is evident in her high grades and overall school rank. Therefore, educational institution must acknowledge her efforts through admission. The principles of equality, power, and need may also be applied in the issue of college admission. More particularly, students who have socially and economically challenged must also be given the equal opportunity to improve their current life situation by giving them proper education. This alternately means that candidates who are significantly better off financially and socially should not always be given first priority as this may foster inequality. Instead they should be admitted based their skills and talents rather than their social status or power so as not to compromise equality. Finally, the principle of responsibility states that those who have more have the responsibility to help and share resources to those who are lacking. Under this principle, students and the university, in general, can benefit more by helping those in need. This in turn, transforms students in to responsible and purposeful individuals.
Works Cited
“Affirmative Action” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved last 6 Jan. 17. From
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/
Anderson, Nick. UC’s experience with an affirmative action ban”. Washington Post. Retrieved
last 6 January 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/ucs-
experience-with-an-affirmative-action-ban/2014/04/23/d5a196aa-cb14-11e3-93eb
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Gettleman, Jeffrey. The Segregated Classroom of Proudly Diverse Schools. New York: Times
Education Section, 2005
Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities: Children in American Schools. New York: Crown, 2012
Matthews, Jay. As Merit-Ad Race Escalates, Wealthy Often Win. Washington Post, 2005
“Prohibition Against Discrimination or Preferential Treatment by State and Other Public
Entities”. LAO.CA. Retrieved 6 January 2017, from http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/1996/prop209_11_1996.html
“Proposition 54: Impacts on health, law enforcement, education and human rights of
Californians.” Retrieved last 6 January 2017, from http://ajud.assembly.ca.gov/sites/ajud.assembly.ca.gov/files/reports/0803%20PROP54background.pdf
Robinson-Brown Lauren. Study: Ending affirmative action would devastate most minority
college enrollment”. Princeton. Retrieved 6 January 2017, from
https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S11/80/77I23/index.xml
“The Bakke Case and Affirmative Action” PBS. Retrieved last 6 January 2017, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/22_bakke.html
United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Retrieved last 6 January 2017 from
http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2012/04/02/11-15100.pdf