Affirmative action strategies and professional schools: case illustrations of examplary programs

✍ Scribed by Darla J. Twale; Costas J. Douvanis; Francis J. Sekula

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 769 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0018-1560
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00129440

✦ Synopsis

Increases of women and minority students at professional schools have been reported but disadvantaged populations still suffer underrepresentation. The literature indicates that effective affirmative action may be realized through early identification programs and pre-professional contact during recruitment; role modeling, and mentoring used from early identification through professional licensure; resocialization techniques for both faculty and students used after matriculation; and academic, social, and psychological support services used during the program that aid retention. A survey of law, medical, dental, and veterinary schools revealed various affirmative action strategies used for the recruitment, admission, and retention of women and minorities. Seven case illustrations of affirmative action programs are detailed. These cases demonstrate that an eclectic grouping of strategies is less effective than a concise, directed program of strategies complementary to the professional school, its faculty, their geographic location, their targeted clientele, and their specific goals for cultural diversity.

The introduction

Currently, while women earn more associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees than men, women earned only 28% of the doctorates and 36% of the first professional degrees awarded in 1989 (Kroe 1989). Five percent of the medical school graduates in 1988 were African American (O'Brien 1989). Less than one percent of the 1988-89 law and dental school enrollments were Native Americans (A review... 1988; Lyons 1989). Hispanic Americans constituted 3% of the persons enrolled in American law schools during 1988-89 (A review... 1988).

Demographic shifts indicate that the United States population could consist of 35% minorities early in the next century (Keller 1988). Health and legal professionals are needed to provide assistance for targeted minority groups in special, concentrated population areas. Increases of women and minority students at professional schools have been reported but disadvantaged groups still suffer underrepresentation due to institutional and structural barriers, social and economic controls, traditional educational mechanisms, cultural perceptions, and psychological pressures (Lyons 1989; Malhoit and Ninan 1979; Stevens and Marquette 1979; Twale, Douvanis, and Sekula 1991). 'Disadvantaged' implies in addition to minority status that one was denied equal educational opportunity due to lower socio-economic status; economic and personal disadvantage can apply to non-minority students as well. For this study, disadvantaged groups refers to those traditionally denied access to professional schools because of minority status, gender, or economic deficiencies (Sindler 1978).

As a result of Civil Rights legislation, American citizens have been protected