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Affirmative Action

basketcase

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Dec 29, 2005
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Is it true that white women are the number one benefactors of affirmative action? That's what I keep reading online but I never see stats to back up the claim
I know Engineering programs in Canada have made huge efforts to encourage women, indigenous, and black students to get in but didn't change any of their entry requirements. Instead they engaged in outreach programs to connect with and mentor youth from those targeted groups to help them overcome perceptions and systemic issues. In my mind, that's a much better way to do it. On the down side, it requires actual effort, resources, and money put into programs that don't have a guaranteed return so it's unlikely to be implemented in any large scale system.
 

toguy5252

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Jun 22, 2009
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Well said. There is also the fact that affirmative action is not incompatible with merit. A quota set aside for minorities, still ensures the most qualified minorities take up those spots, who are just as good as the white males who are admitted. There seems to be this prevalent notion that someone qualifying via affirmative action is there solely due to their race, gender or what have you.
That prevalent notion you refer to is usually propounded by people who are trying to preserve the position of white males and often white christian males.
 
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Darts

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"One of the plaintiffs in today’s case argued that Harvard’s affirmative action policy discriminated against Asian students.

Yukong Zhao, president of the Asian American Coalition for Education, says he agrees.

His group was one of several Asian American organisations who publicly supported the case against affirmative action.

“Today is a great day for Asian Americans and all Americans,” Zhao said outside the court.

“This decision will preserve meritocracy, which is the bedrock of the American dream."

Zhao says he supports more funding for K-12 education, and more support for Black and Hispanic students. But affirmative action, he says, made Asian Americans “second class citizens”.

American education will now be “colour blind”, he said."
 
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Darts

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"Summary
  1. The US Supreme Court has ruled that universities cannot consider a prospective student's race when deciding admission
  2. The ruling ends a decades-long practice of affirmative action where universities could take race into account in order to improve diversity
  3. The cases concerned admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina and will impact admissions rules nationwide
  4. Affirmative action first made its way into policy in the 1960s, as many all-white schools began admitting minority students
  5. The court has six conservative-leaning justices while three were appointed by Democratic presidents"
 

Darts

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Lots of reaction on the Internet.

Some people are concerned that universities will find ways to circumvent the law.

Some former students said they would never have been admitted to the university of their choice if not for AA.
 

Darts

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Although its been years since I was a student at UofT (I was there for one year), I can assure you I see a lot of Asian (Chinese, East Indians, etc.) on campus when I pass by.

BTW: My roommate at McGill was ethnic Chinese from Singapore. He is still ethnic Chinese but he's back in Singapore. His daughter is living in our coach house when attending UofT during the school year.

"Canada’s university admission system does not generally use race-based or gender-based affirmative action; however, as a Globe and Mail article comparing our system to the US points out, many professional schools are not reflective of the population and lack diversity."
Maclean's "Too Asian" controversy - Wikipedia
 
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y2kmark

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May 19, 2002
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Admissions to universities SHOULD be based on merit. This was not always the case in the past when visible minorities, in particular people of African descent who were qualified to go to university, were barred from many institutions.
The past 40 years of affirmative action has done much to even the playing field. However, perhaps it’s time for everyone to have an equal chance.
I do agree with this decision in principle, but I would go even further and ban legacy admissions.
For those of you, not familiar with these, if your parents went to the University, that you were applying, for you would be given preferential treatment, and other students who may have higher marks, would not be admitted.
It should be noted that the vast majority of these students are White. so let’s make it fair for everybody, everything based on merit, nothing else.
Legacy is more about money. The minute you are out the door, diploma in hand, the college or university is "in touch" begging for money and it's the financial supporters kids who have "legacy" status. Follow the money...
 

Darts

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Legacy is more about money. The minute you are out the door, diploma in hand, the college or university is "in touch" begging for money and it's the financial supporters kids who have "legacy" status. Follow the money...
It pays to have successful alumnus (check sp).
University ‘mega’ donations of more than $10-million are on the rise - The Globe and Mail
University of Toronto receives single largest gift in Canadian history from James and Louise Temerty to support advances in human health and health care | University of Toronto (utoronto.ca)
 

JohnLarue

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Jan 19, 2005
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This idea that admissions should be based solely upon merit is a meaningless goal. Is anyone suggesting that the only metric for merit is marks. That is an abusrd suggestion usually made by people (and usually white males)who have never been responsible for hiring anyone. There are many factors which go into determining the best candidate for admission to a university or a job etc.
you are correct
participation / leadership in team sports, charitable work, military service, membership in a chamber of commerce are factors which can be used into determining the best candidate for admission to a university or a job etc.

but race is not one of the factors
just as race should not be a factor in judging the character of an individual

1688139730186.png
 

danmand

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Nov 28, 2003
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This idea that admissions should be based solely upon merit is a meaningless goal. Is anyone suggesting that the only metric for merit is marks. That is an abusrd suggestion usually made by people (and usually white males)who have never been responsible for hiring anyone. There are many factors which go into determining the best candidate for admission to a university or a job etc.
Then again, the idea that admission should be (positively) influenced by an ancestor having attended the same university is even more meaningless.

Basing admissions solely on marks has the obvious benefit of ruling out nepotism, race, gender etc.
 
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toguy5252

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Then again, the idea that admission should be (positively) influenced by an ancestor having attended the same university is even more meaningless.

Basing admissions solely on marks has the obvious benefit of ruling out nepotism, race, gender etc.
Legacies simply insure that schools remain the domain of "our kind of people".

Why would you want to exclude race, gender and many other criteria. Not sure why I have to keep repeating that marks alone do not make the best candidate for anything and marks today are culturally biased.
 

shack

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Oct 2, 2001
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So I had to compete with Jews (we all know how smart they are)
I think that there's a term for ascribing a particular trait or attribute of one's character to an entire race. Regardless if that trait is positive or negative, a label is being placed on an entire race.

Do you know what that term is? You should, because you do it all the time and that's why so many other posters question your character.
 
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Darts

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At one time I thought the SAT was colour blind, but apparently, the scores are "race adjusted".

I also heard that IQ tests are unfair because smarter people tend to have higher scores.
 

Darts

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Frankfooter

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When I was there the goal was 15% international students. Wow, it is now up to 30%. Mind you, foreign students pay "full fare".
THE ranks McGill as one of the world's most international universities - McGill Reporter
Canadian universities get less funding now and need to rely on foreign students full tuition.

If you want enrolment based on merit you need to make sure the system gives all students the same tools and chances to study first.
In the US that means more funding for public schools so those kids get the educations that allow them to apply based on merit, not on whether their parents could afford tutors or private school.
 

John_Jacob

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This has nothing to do with problem solving abilities or success later on in life.
You really need to re-visit your opinion. IQ (intelligence) is correlated with later success in life. There are also obviously many other factors such as motivation, luck & grit. Personal anecdotes is not data. Also, your Einstein example is about EXPERIENCE, not IQ. Experience matters. In addition, you can also have no education (it does help for IQ later in life) yet have a high IQ, don't confuse the two.

Left-leaning publication - IQ is correlated with career success and wealth, but not necessarily happiness

Higher IQ is related to longer life expectancy


11 Uncomfortable Facts About How IQ Affects Your Life

There are a lot of papers out there that contradict your opinion.
 
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