Examining the future of higher education admissions

Legal cases concerning the use of affirmative action and other targeted admissions policies have long shaped the way students are admitted to colleges and universities around the country. A panel discussion will be held on Wednesday (March 19) on the Tulane University uptown campus to discuss the future of higher education admissions.

Students at the A. B. Freeman School of Business identify diversity as one of the strengths of their school. (Photo from the Tulane Graduate Business Council)

A starting point for the evening's discussion will be the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, which was brought by a white undergraduate woman in 2008 after she was denied admission to the University of Texas–Austin. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the university's favor.

Carolyn Barber-Pierre, assistant vice president for student affairs at Tulane, says the outcome of cases like Fisher can have an effect on the opportunities that future minority generations may have.

For this reason, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Program in African and African Diaspora Studies, the Office of the Provost and the Rosa Keller Foundation will sponsor the panel, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education.

Deborah Love, vice president for institutional equity and diversity at Tulane, will serve as moderator.

“If we are going to be a competitive university, our classrooms have to reflect the diversity of the country through our faculty and our student body,” says Barber-Pierre. “It should not be done because it is mandated. It should be done because it's the right thing to do.”

Panelists are Sumi Cho, professor of law, DePaul University College of Law; Stella Flores, associate professor of public policy and higher education, Vanderbilt University; and Cheryl Harris, professor of law, UCLA School of Law.

The panel takes place in the Qatar Ballroom of the Lavin Bernick-Center from 7:30 to 9 p.m.