ACE Board Statement on Affirmative Action and Diversity, May 25, 1995

ACE and Affirmative Action

Statement on Affirmative Action and Diversity Adopted by the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education

May 25, 1995

The American Council on Education has a longstanding record of commitment to access to higher education for all qualified Americans and to the advancement of groups that in the past have been denied equal educational opportunity. This commitment is reflected in ACE's positions on public policy, its programmatic activities, and its employment practices. It has been expressed repeatedly in resolutions by the Board of Directors regarding affirmative action, nondiscrimination, equity, equal opportunity, and admissions standards.

In light of recent questions about the impact of affirmative action on college and university admissions and employment, and the prospects for its continuation, the Board of Directors wishes to reaffirm its previous resolutions and restate its support for efforts by higher education institutions to achieve diversity in their student populations and their faculty and staff. This support is based upon the following beliefs:

Diversity serves an important educational function. One of higher education's essential functions is to broaden the perspectives of students by exposing them to individuals from different backgrounds and to a variety of disciplines, cultures, and points of view. Given the enormous changes taking place in our nation and the world, no person in the 21st century will be considered to have received a high quality education without such exposure.
Diversity in higher education helps prepare students for the world of work and for participation in a democratic society. Employers in all sectors of the economy increasingly see diversity as critical to organizational success and competitiveness, and expect higher education to prepare students for a work environment that is characterized by diversity. They recognize that a diverse workforce is a better, more productive workforce--which is as true in higher education as it is in other sectors. In addition, as the economy increasingly demands higher levels of education for employment and advancement, the nation cannot hope to achieve true equality of opportunity unless it attains diversity among college students.
Affirmative action helps guarantee equal employment opportunity in colleges and universities and enhances quality in higher education. As it has with other major employers, affirmative action has proved to be a useful tool to colleges and universities in ensuring compliance with fair employment practices and redressing past discrimination. A diverse faculty and staff are essential for colleges and universities to provide high quality in teaching, scholarship, and service to the campus and the community.
Colleges and universities should enjoy significant latitude in fulfilling their missions. One of the fundamental strengths of American higher education is the extraordinary diversity of its colleges and universities. Institutions differ greatly in their missions and serve a wide variety of constituencies. They employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative factors in the admissions process. Most colleges and universities have undertaken efforts to diversify their student bodies voluntarily, rather than as a result of legal requirements. For them to achieve their educational goals and serve society, it is important that colleges and universities retain the greatest degree of autonomy and freedom to develop their own admissions, academic, and employment standards.

The nation's colleges and universities have made important strides in recent years toward ending discrimination and enhancing the participation and success of historically disadvantaged minorities and women of all races. This task, however, is far from complete. Various forms of affirmative action, from outreach and admissions policies, to employment incentives, to specific training programs, have played an important role in the relative success that has been achieved to date, and should not now be abandoned. Therefore, the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education strongly endorses the continued use of affirmative action in employment and admissions as part of the effort to achieve diversity and high quality in American higher education.

Please send your questions, comments, and suggestions to:
web@ace.nche.edu

Last Modified: May 22, 2002