supporting diversity in turbulent legal times findings from a new survey of admissions and...

Supporting Diversity in Turbulent Legal Times

Findings from a New Survey of Admissions and Enrollment

Management Leaders

Hobsons University, July 29, 2015

Lorelle L. Espinosa, Ph.D., ACEMatthew N. Gaertner, Ph.D., Pearson

About the Study

• Seeks to examine how legal challenges to race-conscious admissions have changed and are changing practices at selective (i.e., not open-access) four-year U.S. institutions

• First of its kind national survey study of admissions and enrollment management leaders

Study Research Questions

1) How have statewide legislation and Supreme Court rulings influenced outreach, recruitment, and admissions decisions at selective U.S. 4-year colleges and universities?

2) What strategies are admissions/enrollment management leaders using to support diversity and which strategies appear to be working?

3) How can the research, policy, and legal communities assist institutions in preparing for the future?

Participants/Study Sample

338 institutions enrolling more than 2.7 million students and receiving more than 3 million applications in 2013-14

– 92 currently consider race; 19 discontinued consideration of race; 227 have never considered race

– 153 public, 185 private institutions– Median selectivity of 64%– Median Pell: 33%; median URM: 16%

Race is a Consideration Across the Selectivity Spectrum

What Are the Most and Least Widely Used Diversity Strategies? (racial/ethnic, socioeconomic diversity)

“We need more programs that teach children, especially those from low-income families, at an earlier stage that college is an option open to them, that there are financial aid programs to help them and that support services are available to help them along the way.”

Santa Ono

Which Diversity Strategies Are Perceived as Most and Least Effective? (racial/ethnic diversity)

How Did Admissions Factors Change After Fisher?How Did Diversity Strategies Change After Fisher?

-10 0 10 20 30

SAT/ACT ScoreRace/ethnicity

Cumulative GPAGrades in college prep courses

Strength of high school curriculumAnticipated choice of major

Child of alumni or facultyHigh school reputation

AP/IB/SAT II assessment scoresClass rank

Admissions interviewPre-college enrichment

Essay or personal statementLeadership, activities, workOvercoming adversity / gritLetters of recommendation

U.S. or state geographic diversityAbility to pay

International diversitySES disadvantage

Percent-10 0 10 20 30










Percent-10 0 10 20 30










Percent-10 0 10 20 30

Percentage planReduced emphasis on legacy admissions

Provisional or conditional admissionTest-optional admissions

Targeted financial aid (racial minorities)Professional development for K-12

Reduced emphasis on SAT/ACT scoresBridge or summer enrichment programsTargeted recruitment (racial minorities)

Targeted financial aid (low-SES)Additional consideration (low-SES)

Articulation agreementsTargeted yield initiatives (low-SES)

Targeted yield initiatives (racial minorities)Holistic application review

Targeted recruitment (low-SES)Recruiting community college transfers

Percent

DecreasedIncreased

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

Child of alumni or facultyAdmissions interview

Anticipated choice of majorAbility to pay


AP/IB/SAT II assessment scoresSAT/ACT Score

Class rankHigh school reputation

Letters of recommendationStrength of high school curriculum

Pre-college enrichmentSES disadvantage

Leadership, activities, workU.S. or state geographic diversity

International diversityEssay or personal statement

Overcoming adversity / grit

Percent-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80











Percent-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80











Percent-60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

Test-optional admissionsProvisional or conditional admission

Reduced emphasis on legacy admissionsTargeted financial aid (racial/ethnic minorities)

Reduced emphasis on SAT/ACT scoresBridge or summer enrichment programs

Percentage planProfessional development for K-12

Articulation agreementsRecruiting community college transfers

Targeted financial aid (low-SES)Targeted recruitment (racial/ethnic minorities)

Targeted yield initiatives (racial/ethnic minorities)Additional admissions consideration (low-SES)

Targeted recruitment (low-SES)Holistic application review

Targeted yield initiatives (low-SES)

Percent

How Did Admissions Factors Change After Ending Race-Conscious Admissions?

How Did Diversity Strategies Change After Ending Race-Conscious Admissions?

DecreasedIncreased

What Are the Most Important Admissions Factors, When Race Is Not a Factor?

How Often Are Other Diversity Strategies Used……at Schools that Do Not Consider Race in Admissions?…at Schools that Consider Race in Admissions?

0 20 40 60 80 100

Test-optional admissions

Percentage plan

Reduced emphasis on legacy admissions

Additional consideration (low-SES)

Targeted financial aid (racial minorities)

Reduced emphasis on SAT/ACT scores

Professional development for K-12


Targeted yield initiatives (racial minorities)

Bridge or summer enrichment programs

Targeted financial aid (low-SES)

Provisional or conditional admission

Targeted recruitment (low-SES)

Holistic application review

Targeted recruitment (racial minorities)

Recruiting community college transfers

Articulation agreements

PERCENT

0 20 40 60 80 100


Percentage plan
















PERCENT

0 20 40 60 80 100

Percentage plan

















PERCENT

“A commitment to diversity is a philosophy not an event. Thoughtful and

strategic approaches to the entire process are necessary, from recruitment

to yield to enrollment, in order to both realize your goals but also to

demonstrate true commitment.”

Kedra Ishop

Where are Institutions Seeking Guidance around Fisher?

“It is always best if we know that the initiatives we pursue are evidence-based and that they are accomplishing what we hope they are. [Researchers] can assist us best by helping us assess which tools are most effective and impactful.”

Santa Ono

“We don’t struggle for a lack of information and research. Rather, taking

the information that we live with every day and making it digestible for a

university community that has to equally invested is the more difficult challenge.”

Kedra Ishop

What Research and Guidance Do Schools Need?

Race, Class, and College Access

Achieving Diversity in a Shifting Legal Landscape

www.acenet.edu/adreamundone

“Diverse education is not an initiative, it’s who we are. The legal landscape may change how we do our work but it will not change the work that we do.”

Kedra Ishop

supporting diversity in turbulent legal times findings from a new survey of admissions and...

Education

racialethnic diversity

diversity strategies

socioeconomic diversity

raceconscious admissions

admissions decisions

admissions factors

new survey of admissions

median pell