Colleges and universities are changing how applicants’ race and ethnic profile is considered in application files in response to a court ruling that struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Washington Post reports. While race and ethnicity, as reported in demographic questionnaires, will no longer appear alongside other application materials, student essays offer opportunities to write about how issues of race, ethnicity, and culture have shaped their lives. Some high school students describe experiencing uncertainty and self-doubt when broaching the topic of race in their admissions essays, wanting to acknowledge how identity influenced their lives and academic interests while simultaneously acknowledging that racial identity is not the only factor that defines them.
Antiracism centers at colleges and universities face mounting challenges as politicians in states such as Texas and Florida restrict teaching in public institutions, college presidents shift their resource allocation, and conservative legislators question the work of these centers. Directors of various antiracism centers told The Chronicle of Higher Education that their work focuses on three primary areas: interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and public engagement. Long-term success of these centers hinges on investment from the college community, which can involve faculty and staff engaging with antiracism initiatives, attending lectures, and incorporating research into curricula.
A recent study from the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University reveals that HBCUs could reduce racial disparities in degree completion and impact Black students’ long-term financial outcomes, Inside Higher Ed reports. The study, based on data from 1.2 million Black students who took the SAT between 2004 and 2010, found that students who enrolled at historically Black colleges or universities were 14.6% more likely to graduate than Black students at non-HBCU institutions or two-year colleges.
A new report by RTI International reveals that Black scientists, who make up a small percentage of PhD recipients in STEM fields, carry an excessive amount of student loan debt compared to their non-Black peers, Inside Higher Ed reports. The analysis of federal data reveals several disparities, including that only 5% of STEM PhDs awarded in the US in 2021 went to Black scientists and 8% to Hispanic scientists, despite the US population being 12-14% Black and 19% Hispanic. Almost half of Black PhDs borrowed more than $50,000 for their graduate education.