why its important to take college course on race

The argument for considering race, supporters say, is that it helps create more diversity in schools and provides a leg-up to some students who might need it. Proponents argue that a diverse student body helps prepare students for their careers and life outside school.

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Should all students take an accessible course on race and ethnicity?

All students should take an accessible course on race and ethnicity if racial equity is to be an achievable goal. As a sociology professor at Dartmouth College, I teach such a class, and it is at once exhausting and exhilarating. It is not easy to learn about, let alone talk about, racism.

Should race be banned in college admissions?

There would be obvious ways to do so: make the admissions process more transparent; reconsider the favoritism heaped upon athletes and legacy students, for instance. Instead, the solution that Blum is proposing is to completely prohibit the consideration of race in college admissions.

Why don’t white students talk about race in college?

Because white students have managed to avoid critical discussions of race their whole lives before college, they tend to see racial and ethnic inequality as “not their issue.”

Should every college have a race and ethnicity graduation requirement?

Editor's note: This column was originally published on Sep. 23, 2019. There’s a graduation requirement I’d like every college and university to adopt, just like math or writing. All students should take an accessible course on race and ethnicity if racial equity is to be an achievable goal.

Why is racial studies important?

Ethnic studies teaches students the breadth and depth of social issues in the United States and allows them to examine how activism and social movements can rectify inequality. Many students believe supporting social justice drives change.

Does race matter in college admission?

California's population is already extremely diverse in terms of race. Still, state schools consider a student's ethnic background, even though California schools tend to avoid using a student's ethnicity as a primary deciding factor for admission.

How does race impact education?

Black students are two times more likely to be suspended without education services compared to their white peers. Schools with 90% or more of students of color spend $733 less per student. Black students may experience microaggressions and censoring from peers.

Why is it important to learn about race and ethnicity?

Help students reflect on their own racial identities. Young people who have explored their ethnic and racial background have a better understanding of the world in which they live and are able to draw on this when they experience or witness racial discrimination.

How does race affect college admission?

For example, students with the average characteristics of those applying to a four-year college had a 60 percent chance of being admitted at an elite four-year school if they were white non-Hispanics. However, black or Hispanic applicants with the same characteristics had an 87 or 75 percent chance, respectively.

Do minorities have an advantage in college admissions?

Many American appear to think that Black students benefit from college admissions offices that want to increase diversity on predominantly white campuses. But a new survey shows that white applicants have a significant advantage over their Black peers.

How does race and gender affect education?

The report states that “Black, Latino and Native Americans have a bigger chance of going to schools with a higher concentration of first year teachers than white students.” The same report states that Black students were expelled at three times the rate of white students, and observed that Black girls were suspended at ...

What race goes to college the most?

In 2016, the total college enrollment rate was higher for Asian young adults (58 percent) than for young adults who were of Two or more races (42 percent), White (42 percent), Hispanic (39 percent), Black (36 percent), Pacific Islander (21 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (19 percent).

What race has the most college degrees?

Asian Americans had the highest educational attainment of any race, followed by whites who had a higher percentage of high school graduates but a lower percentage of college graduates.

How does race affect growth and development?

In summary race and ethnicity can positively or negatively impact child and adolescent development by shaping experiences. They are particularly important in mediating interactions with other ethnic groups. In particular, negative experiences with teachers and law enforcement can lead to poor behavioral development.

How does ethnicity affect society?

Racial and ethnic prejudices affect the distribution of wealth, power, and opportunity, and create enduring social stratifications. Racial pride can foment racial prejudice, as in the case of white supremacists.

What is my race if I am Hispanic?

About Hispanic Origin OMB defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

What is the percentage of black students in college?

Of the 16.6 million total undergraduate students enrolled in the Fall of 2019, Black students made up 2.1 million students of the undergraduate population (12.7%) but they were not equally represented at different institution types.

Does SAT or GPA matter more?

There are several reasons that the SAT is a more valuable admissions tool than your GPA. Most obviously, it's because the SAT is a standardized test. While your GPA compares you to the rest of your school, the SAT compares you to the rest of the country.

What is a good acceptance rate for a college?

Although the hardest colleges to get into have less than a 10% acceptance rate, Pew Research Center found that over half of U.S. universities have an admissions rate of 67% or higher. You might hear a lot about competitive schools with acceptance rates of 5-20%.

Why is race conscious admission important?

Harvard, and other schools that filed briefs in the case in support of Harvard, say race-conscious admissions are important to ensure diverse student bodies that offer a range of viewpoints and life experiences.

Who said "To not see my race is to not see me"?

There was Sarah F. Cole, an African American who graduated in 2016, who said: “Race-blind admissions is an act of erasure. To not see my race is to not see me.”. Story continues below advertisement.

Is Harvard University defending its admissions policies?

Harvard University is defending its admissions policies in court against a lawsuit filed by a group that opposes affirmative action, and after weeks of school officials presenting statistics about who gets in and who does not, some students finally took the stand and had their say. Support our journalism.

Why are wealthy people good at putting their children in top colleges?

The wealthy are good at placing their children in top colleges because money provides huge advantages. If we are really concerned about this, we should show greater concern about the growing wealth divide in the nation and reexamine our commitment to quality public education across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Why is money important in education?

Which is to say, in the United States today, money provides greater access to quality precollegiate education. Wealthy children also have greater access to test preparation, opportunities for extracurricular activities, as well as access to high-quality health care and food.

Why are students involved in the Harvard lawsuit?

The students involved in the lawsuit say they are taking part because they feel Harvard policies amount to setting quotas for the number of Asian-American students admitted each year. They believe that if admissions came down to “merit” alone, far more Asian Americans would be admitted.

What does Harvard do for college?

By examining the “whole person,” as Harvard does (as best it can, given the flood of applicants each year and the limited time to review each application), a college can determine college potential, readiness, commitment, academic interest, extracurricular interest, etc., and in doing so build a dynamic community of learners. ...

Why are students for fair admissions suing Harvard?

A recent New York Times article noted that an organization named Students for Fair Admissions is suing Harvard University for race discrimination in its admissions practices. Such lawsuits pop up occasionally. But the twist this time is that Asian Americans, not whites, are the ones who feel cheated.

Why do white students learn the most?

That’s because for the first time in their lives, they begin to look at themselves as members of a racial group. They understand that being a good person does not make them innocent but rather they, too, are implicated in a system of racial dominance.

Is it easy to learn about racism?

It is not easy to learn about, let alone talk about, racism. In the course, we learn how the very idea of race was invented with colonialism — but even 400 years after the start of slavery in America, race still exerts a powerful influence on life chances, working through institutions like higher education, the criminal justice system and ...

Should students take a course on race and ethnicity?

All students should take an accessible course on race and ethnicity if racial equity is to be an achievable goal. As a sociology professor at Dartmouth College, I teach such a class, and it is at once exhausting and exhilarating. It is not easy to learn about, let alone talk about, racism.

Why do colleges value diversity?

One reason colleges value diversity is different perspectives allow students to learn from one another. (Getty Images) The term diversity can be as multifaceted as the individuals to whom that label is applied. Colleges often highlight the broad-ranging term as part of their mission or a selling point to applicants.

What does Wood encourage in college?

Wood also encourages applicants to consider what values or programs at the college attract them. "They should talk about (diversity) as something that's important to them in terms of their identity, and link it to the different things that are taking place at the institution that draw them to that institution," Wood says.

What does diversity mean in college?

Luke Wood, chief diversity officer and professor of education at San Diego State University. Diversity often means race, ethnicity or tribal affiliation, but also extends well beyond those factors to sexual identity ...

What does Flores encourage minority students to think of?

Flores encourages minority students to think of their diversity "as an asset that they are offering to the institution to enrich the educational experience for all students" when they are applying to a college. [.

What is student identity?

Student identity extends beyond racial and ethnic considerations to the many facets that make them who they are. When applying to a college, prospective students should think about the layers that comprise them. Wood also encourages applicants to consider what values or programs at the college attract them.

What do colleges look for in a student?

Colleges look for classes that will round out a range of majors, activities and experiences. Race and ethnicity may be considered in applications, but that is alongside many other facets of student identity.

Why is learning elevated to a different level?

"Their learning is elevated to a different level because they can appreciate and understand and hear from someone from a different background, which may change their thinking," Inzer says.