Affirmative Action: Why now? Why again? What's next?
October 13, 2022
On October 31, 2022, the Supreme Court will hear challenges to the admissions practices of Harvard and the University of North Carolina. These lawsuits are brought by Students for Fair Admissions which seeks to ban the consideration of race in college admissions, arguing that current practices discriminate against Asian Americans and violate federal law by using "race-conscious" admissions practices.
The Missing Men: How Can Higher Education Respond?
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Recent reports confirm that the long-term decline of men attending and completing college has accelerated, with men now representing less than 40% of college students. The decline of male participation cuts across race and socio-economic status, and is impacting all types of colleges and universities. The current crisis in community college enrollment in particular spotlights the precipitous drop in enrollment for Black men.
Ann Marcus, Susan Dynarski, David Leonhardt, and Stella Flores took part in a breakfast conversation about college access.
Higher Education & the 2020 Election
Friday, October 25, 2019
- David Leonhardt, Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times and founder of The Upshot.
- Susan M. Dynarski, Professor of Public Policy; Professor of Education; Professor of Economics, and Distinguished Diversity & Social Transformation Professor, University of Michigan
The New Mobility in Higher Education: Does a College Degree Matter?
Friday, October 25, 2019
- Stella Flores (Moderator), Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity, New York University, Director of Access & Equity, Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy
- Paul Attewell, Professor of Sociology and Urban Education, The CUNY Graduate Center
Presentation: The Value of an Incomplete Degree - Susan Dynarski, Professor of Public Policy, Education and Economics, University of Michigan
Presentation: Aid Policy: Does it Help or Hinder Economic Mobility? - Michal Kurlaender, Professor of Education Policy, University of California Davis
Presentation: Broad-Access Postsecondary Institutions and the Demography of Opportunity
Higher education is in a state of great challenge as well as opportunity. Is it still the great engine of opportunity or the hidden mechanism for reproducing social inequality? In this panel, expert scholars will discuss the current and future status of the US postsecondary system through the lenses of financial aid, the consequences and returns of not completing a degree, and the key institutions educating the new demography of this nation.
Unequal Colleges in the Age of Disparity
October 5, 2018
- Charles Clotfelter, Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy, Duke University
- Richard M. Freeland, President Emeritus, Northeastern University and former Commissioner of Higher Education, Massachusetts
- Gene Jarrett, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, New York University
The Steinhardt Institute hosted a conversation with Charles Clotfelter, the noted Duke economist, about his recent book, Unequal Colleges in the Age of Disparity, along with two respondents, Richard M. Freeland and Gene Jarrett. Clotfelter's work is both meticulous and deeply engaging. He breaks new ground in the exploration of how the wealthiest elites handle their great affluence in ways that distort higher education more with each passing year. In turn, this exacerbates inequality in our society at large.
Stratification and Mobility in Higher Education: Dual Realities or Contradicting Values?
October 5, 2018
- Stella Flores (Moderator), Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity, New York University; Director of Access and Equity, Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy
- Sigal Alon, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University
- Will Doyle, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Higher Education, Vanderbilt University
- Tatiana Melguizo, Associate Professor of Higher Education, University of Southern California
- Florencia Torche, Professor of Sociology, Stanford University
The panel provided multidisciplinary perspectives on the key issues of stratification and mobility facing US higher education with lessons from other nations. From tuition policies to state and institutional decision-making around remediation and college success, panelists shared the latest research highlighting the state of progress and decline for low-income and underserved students at different levels of higher education.
Post - Fisher Affirmative Action: Status Quo or New Opportunities?
September 30, 2016
- Greg Garre, Lead Attorney for University of Texas, Former Solicitor General of the United States, Partner Latham & Watkins Law Firm
- Marta Tienda, Professor in Demographic Studies and Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University
- Sigal Alon, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University
- Stella Flores, Associate Professor of Higher Education, New York University
The Supreme Court decision of June 23, 2016 upheld the "race conscious" admissions processes of the University of Texas. The decision was a surprise, and to most in the world of higher education, a welcome surprise. At our forum on September 30th, Greg Garre, lead attorney for the University of Texas and a former Solicitor General of the United States, will discuss the University's legal strategies, analyze the Supreme Court's opinion, and preview possible paths forward. Professors Marta Tienda, Sigal Alon and Stella Flores whose work helped shape the arguments in this case will give their views of the key research elements that will be crucial as institutions and state governments assess future challenges and opportunities.
Beyond Fisher: The Supreme Court and the Future of Race in Higher Education
March 4, 2016
- Randall Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School
- Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College
- Stella Flores, Associate Professor of Higher Education, NYU Steinhardt
- Trevor Morrison, Dean and Eric M. and Laurie B. Roth Professor of Law, NYU Law
The affirmative action case pending in the Supreme Court, Fisher v. University of Texas, has important implications for the future of access to higher education in both the public and private sectors. Today issues of race in higher education are wide-ranging and extend far beyond the issues of admissions and affirmative action. This forum addresses both the central issues in the Fisher case and broader questions regarding the future of race in American higher education. The presenters are distinguished leaders from the fields of social science research; constitutional law; race studies; public policy and academic leadership.