Ensuring Diversity under Race-Neutral Admissions at the University of Georgia

Introduction

Desegregated in the early 1960s

For 3 decades, enrolled an increasing number of AA students under a federally

mandated affirmative action plan

2000 legal changes, adopted race-neutral admissions

University aims to increase diversity of many kinds: racial, ethnic, socioeconomic,

linguistic, and geographic diversity

History of Diversity at UGA

UGA created as a white-only, male-only institution (sons of the states white

planters)

Early 1900s women were admitted

1961 Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter enrolled

o distinguished top graduates from an all-black HS in Atlanta

o a federal judge had ordered them to be accepted

Following desegregation, the university used a two-tier admission process for 3

decades

o White and Blacks were admitted separately, through different admissions

processes

o lower academic requirements for Black

o 1995 record 12% of enrolling freshman class

1996 Total Student Index

o a one-tiered admissions formula that took race into account

o quickly faced numerous legal challenges

o signed a consent decree to drop the consideration of race in scholarships

 2000 U.S. District Judge Avant B. Edenfield ruled that UGAs formula-based
plan was unconstitutional

2001 an appellate court upheld the ruling; because the use of race/ethnicity
was narrowly tailored

2000 UGA dropped consideration of race, ethnicity and gender in admissions

2006 made race-neutral admissions a permanent policy

2003 Grutter vs. Gratz U.S. Supreme Court decision decided to continue with
race- and ethnicity-neutral admissions

Diversity Policies Under Race-Neutral Admissions

Since 2000

Finding new strategies has not been easy

Complementary strategies to help encourage diverse enrollment

Broadening the Definition of Diversity

Launch discussion among faculty and staff

Diversity changed from a black-and-white issue to one that involves GAs

increasing Hispanic population and international immigration

Also broadened effort to include factors such as geography, home language and
life experiences

Revising Admissions Criteria

Added a number of socioeconomic considerations, created an admissions

pathway for top students across the state to encourage geographical diversity,
and removed consideration for alumni relation

Fall 2004 longer application form, more space for essays, and a new teacher
recommendation requirement

o 75-80% of students admitted on academics alone

o the rest would have additional socioeconomic and non-academic factors

considered
 parents education background

job and family responsibilities

high school environment

exceptional circumstances

intellectual curiosity, integrity, personal maturity, creativity,

commitment to service and citizenship, ability to overcome hardship
and respect for cultural differences

2000 guaranteed admission for the valedictorian and salutatorian from each
fully accredited high school in GA

2002 consideration of legacy status ended

Increasing Recruitment

increased targeted recruitment of underrepresented minorities

2001-2002 created the Office of Institutional Diversity; opened satellite

recruitment office to help recruit students from historically underrepresented
populations

2003 a second satellite recruitment office opened

2004 admissions office purchased recruiting lists for > 9,000 multicultural high
school students and admissions counselors increased their work at college fairs
and offered weekend information sessions

UGA has also targeted specific high schools

Georgia Incentive Schools program special recruitment events for about 50 GA

public high schools with high percentages of students on free or reduced-price
lunch and low rates of students applying to UGA

o Also, limited scholarships for students admitted from these schools

Strengthening the Pipeline of Applicants

Large achievement gaps at the K-12 level remain a central challenge to

diversifying enrollment
 UGA has begun forming partnerships with K-12 schools

Gear Up for College

o Funded by the Goizueta Foundation

o UGA brings middle school students from targets schools to campus

o Admissions officers focus on different aspects of campus life and

research, building excitement for college and explaining the necessary
steps

Road to College

o Sends UGA staff into GA middle schools who lead parent programs and
offer leadership training for the students

o A special effort is made to reach non-English-speaking families

National College Advisory Corp

o UGA places recent graduates in targeted high schools to act as college

advisors to the students

Ensuring Financial Support

Recruiting low-income students and encouraging their success once enrolled

1993 Hope Scholarship

o Statewide lottery funded scholarship

o For all graduates of state high schools with a B average or above

o Zell Miller second scholarship

o Both provide generous funding toward tuition at both private and public
state colleges

o > 97% of UGA in-state freshmen are funded by these scholarships

o Not means tested

o Strong incentive for students of all incomes to attend college in the state
 o Question: Exploitation of lower-income GA residents (lottery funded)?

o 2006 One UGA Scholarship

awarded annually to 35-40 students who provide diversity to UGA

based on the Universitys broad definition of diversity

$1,500 per year and is renewable

o 2012 Gateway to Georgia Scholarship Campaign

to raise endowment funds for need-based as well as academic

scholarships

Results

percentage of AA students dropped in the 1990s

o transition away from two-track admissions

o negative media coverage of the legal challenges to UGAs use of race in

admissions

o 1995 high of 12% of new enrolling class

o 2001 low of <5%

o 2011 about 9%

the absolute numbers of AA students have grown at the same time as academic
standards for admission have risen

for 10 of the past 15 years, the first year retention rate of AA students at UGA has
outpaced the overall average

o 2012 was 94%

six-year graduation rates are below the university average of 83.1%

o but have risen over the past decade

1998 67%

2007 76.1%
 Hispanic population on campus

o mid-1990s < 1%

o 2012 > 5%

o first year retention rates have been about 90% since 2008

o six-year graduation rate was 81.4% for the 2007 cohort

White population

o 2001 86%

o 2012 73%

Other types of diversity

o 2013 7% of enrolling freshmen were non-native English speakers; 6%

were first in their family to attend college

o number of GA high schools represented in the freshmen class

2002 347 schools

2012 457 schools

Conclusion

faculty and administration are still committed to pursuing diversity on campus

increasing representation of AA students remains a focus

also pushing toward a broader understanding of diversity and a more proactive

approach to ensuring equitable access and creating a rich learning environment

some of the most effective tools are the informal, word-of-mouth testimonials of
UGAs satisfied students and alumni

o their stories help draw more students to the university