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Employers Benefitted from Affirmative Action. It’s Time to Step Up. Employers Benefited from Affirmative Action. It’s Time to Step Up.
(1 day later)
I’ve been traveling the country speaking to corporate executives about seismic shifts in higher education: a demographic cliff, decreased state funding, ever-rising tuition and a recent poll showing that over half of Americans don’t believe college is worth the cost. And, of course, the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action, which was handed down on Thursday, banning the use of race in college admissions.I’ve been traveling the country speaking to corporate executives about seismic shifts in higher education: a demographic cliff, decreased state funding, ever-rising tuition and a recent poll showing that over half of Americans don’t believe college is worth the cost. And, of course, the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action, which was handed down on Thursday, banning the use of race in college admissions.
If you haven’t connected the dots for how this will affect your organizations, it’s time to wake up, I have been warning them. For decades, companies in America have relied on colleges and universities to deliver a diverse and well-prepared work force. That gravy train is officially over.If you haven’t connected the dots for how this will affect your organizations, it’s time to wake up, I have been warning them. For decades, companies in America have relied on colleges and universities to deliver a diverse and well-prepared work force. That gravy train is officially over.
The executives often express shock. Recently, a leader at a Fortune 500 company wanted to know — as many others have asked — what higher education was going to do about it.The executives often express shock. Recently, a leader at a Fortune 500 company wanted to know — as many others have asked — what higher education was going to do about it.
The real question, I told her, is: What are you going to do about it?The real question, I told her, is: What are you going to do about it?
America’s corporations count on having a diverse, well-prepared work force that knows how to work well with all different kinds of people. That’s why 82 major employers, including Google, Apple, General Electric, Mastercard, Meta, General Motors and Verizon, submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court in support of race-conscious policies in college admissions.America’s corporations count on having a diverse, well-prepared work force that knows how to work well with all different kinds of people. That’s why 82 major employers, including Google, Apple, General Electric, Mastercard, Meta, General Motors and Verizon, submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court in support of race-conscious policies in college admissions.
But creating that labor pool — taking people from wildly different backgrounds and circumstances and turning them all into polished graduates with comparable skills — is tremendously hard, expensive work. Most corporations that reap the benefits contribute almost nothing to the effort. They sit back and wait, content to let the nation’s colleges and universities scout and nurture that talent.But creating that labor pool — taking people from wildly different backgrounds and circumstances and turning them all into polished graduates with comparable skills — is tremendously hard, expensive work. Most corporations that reap the benefits contribute almost nothing to the effort. They sit back and wait, content to let the nation’s colleges and universities scout and nurture that talent.
That’s not going to work anymore.That’s not going to work anymore.
Look at what happened when California banned affirmative action nearly 27 years ago. Colleges and universities saw a sharp decrease in the diversity of their incoming classes. Many of those institutions were eventually able to get their numbers at least part of the way back up, but developing and implementing new recruitment efforts, including hiring more staff, partnering with community-based organizations and investing in emerging technologies, cost the University of California system more than half a billion dollars, money most institutions don’t have and most states aren’t going to spend.Look at what happened when California banned affirmative action nearly 27 years ago. Colleges and universities saw a sharp decrease in the diversity of their incoming classes. Many of those institutions were eventually able to get their numbers at least part of the way back up, but developing and implementing new recruitment efforts, including hiring more staff, partnering with community-based organizations and investing in emerging technologies, cost the University of California system more than half a billion dollars, money most institutions don’t have and most states aren’t going to spend.
As a beneficiary of affirmative action myself, I spent most of my career on college campuses working to help pass forward the opportunities that I was given. Changing these institutions is difficult and lonely work, provided the lack of resources most admission officers rely on to achieve the conflicting goals of diversifying classes and meeting tuition revenue targets. For America’s colleges and universities to continue to produce a diverse work force and train young people to engage across differences, our employers are going to have to help make up for what the Supreme Court has now taken away. What if instead of just decrying the problem, Google, Apple, G.E., Mastercard, Meta, G.M., Verizon and all the others who filed amicus briefs leveraged their staggering financial power to fix it? The good news is there are many ways to have an impact.As a beneficiary of affirmative action myself, I spent most of my career on college campuses working to help pass forward the opportunities that I was given. Changing these institutions is difficult and lonely work, provided the lack of resources most admission officers rely on to achieve the conflicting goals of diversifying classes and meeting tuition revenue targets. For America’s colleges and universities to continue to produce a diverse work force and train young people to engage across differences, our employers are going to have to help make up for what the Supreme Court has now taken away. What if instead of just decrying the problem, Google, Apple, G.E., Mastercard, Meta, G.M., Verizon and all the others who filed amicus briefs leveraged their staggering financial power to fix it? The good news is there are many ways to have an impact.
The most obvious way to help colleges level the field among students is to level the field among colleges. But the largest gifts in higher education often go to the institutions with the most resources. Harvard University recently received a gift of $300 million, the University of Chicago received a gift of $100 million and Columbia University received a gift of $175 million. The combined endowments of these institutions add up to more than $74 billion. They can already afford to fund expensive diversity efforts. What if, instead of the $500 million that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged to Harvard, it spread that kind of money around institutions like Trinity Washington University, where a majority of students are Black or Hispanic and 63 percent of students are Pell Grant recipients?The most obvious way to help colleges level the field among students is to level the field among colleges. But the largest gifts in higher education often go to the institutions with the most resources. Harvard University recently received a gift of $300 million, the University of Chicago received a gift of $100 million and Columbia University received a gift of $175 million. The combined endowments of these institutions add up to more than $74 billion. They can already afford to fund expensive diversity efforts. What if, instead of the $500 million that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged to Harvard, it spread that kind of money around institutions like Trinity Washington University, where a majority of students are Black or Hispanic and 63 percent of students are Pell Grant recipients?
I asked Elsa Núñez, president of Eastern Connecticut State University, what her institution, with its modest $50 million endowment, could do with a $100 million gift. “I would make sure students have enough financial aid to enroll and ultimately graduate,” she said. “The nation’s most diverse students need money to attend and succeed. When you’re worried about paying for rent or your next meal, you can’t focus on graduating. We have to take away the stress that not having money creates.”I asked Elsa Núñez, president of Eastern Connecticut State University, what her institution, with its modest $50 million endowment, could do with a $100 million gift. “I would make sure students have enough financial aid to enroll and ultimately graduate,” she said. “The nation’s most diverse students need money to attend and succeed. When you’re worried about paying for rent or your next meal, you can’t focus on graduating. We have to take away the stress that not having money creates.”
Connecticut is home to Fortune 500 companies like Charter Communications and Xerox, as well as much of the insurance industry and many of the most prominent hedge funds. Executives, President Núñez is ready for your call.Connecticut is home to Fortune 500 companies like Charter Communications and Xerox, as well as much of the insurance industry and many of the most prominent hedge funds. Executives, President Núñez is ready for your call.
This is the approach that the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has been pursuing. She has flooded colleges such as Cal State Northridge, Lehman College, Florida International University, Prairie View A&M University and Whittier College with millions of dollars to recruit and support students in need. Corporate leaders need to take that as inspiration, and rethink what prestige means. (And with the rise of generative A.I., technology companies have an additional opportunity: to provide colleges with free technology to help them recruit, retain and support the next generation.) This is the approach that the philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has been pursuing. She has flooded colleges such as Cal State Northridge, Lehman College, Florida International University, Prairie View A&M University and Whittier College with millions of dollars to recruit and support students in need. Corporate leaders need to take that as inspiration and rethink what prestige means. (And with the rise of generative A.I., technology companies have an additional opportunity: to provide colleges with free technology to help them recruit, retain and support the next generation.)
But if corporations really want to ensure that colleges deliver a diverse array of graduates, they should begin a lot further upstream. Community organizations that work in low-income neighborhoods can have profound impacts on underprivileged children’s development and readiness for higher education. So, of course, can public schools. Access to mental health counseling, support services, coaching and academic enrichment — even just good sports programs — are all things that kids who grow up in conditions of privilege might take for granted. These are in many cases organizations where small amounts of money can make a big difference and large amounts of money can be transformational.But if corporations really want to ensure that colleges deliver a diverse array of graduates, they should begin a lot further upstream. Community organizations that work in low-income neighborhoods can have profound impacts on underprivileged children’s development and readiness for higher education. So, of course, can public schools. Access to mental health counseling, support services, coaching and academic enrichment — even just good sports programs — are all things that kids who grow up in conditions of privilege might take for granted. These are in many cases organizations where small amounts of money can make a big difference and large amounts of money can be transformational.
This is the approach that the University of California has taken with its Early Academic Outreach Program, which focuses on college readiness for over 40,000 students in underserved areas to date. The results are impressive, but we need thousands more such initiatives across the country. Big employers should be funding college access centers in their home cities or states.This is the approach that the University of California has taken with its Early Academic Outreach Program, which focuses on college readiness for over 40,000 students in underserved areas to date. The results are impressive, but we need thousands more such initiatives across the country. Big employers should be funding college access centers in their home cities or states.
The third big area of opportunity is the college admission process itself. Navigating it successfully requires the help of a trained professional, but in America’s public schools, some counselors are expected to oversee almost 1,000 students. Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested $86 million to train college advisers and provide one-on-one college advising to about 63,000 low-income students since 2014. The average college enrollment rate for these students is 83 percent. Bloomberg’s investment will pay dividends in the future. We need others to join the movement. Top corporate foundations, such as those overseen by Fidelity, Ford and Wells Fargo, could join Bloomberg’s effort by placing more counselors in public schools or helping to scale the work of organizations like Chicago Scholars, College Track and College Horizons, which provide college advising and academic support for underserved students.The third big area of opportunity is the college admission process itself. Navigating it successfully requires the help of a trained professional, but in America’s public schools, some counselors are expected to oversee almost 1,000 students. Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested $86 million to train college advisers and provide one-on-one college advising to about 63,000 low-income students since 2014. The average college enrollment rate for these students is 83 percent. Bloomberg’s investment will pay dividends in the future. We need others to join the movement. Top corporate foundations, such as those overseen by Fidelity, Ford and Wells Fargo, could join Bloomberg’s effort by placing more counselors in public schools or helping to scale the work of organizations like Chicago Scholars, College Track and College Horizons, which provide college advising and academic support for underserved students.
The remarkable part of all this corporate giving is it wouldn’t just be an act of kindness. The companies themselves would be among the beneficiaries, helping to create a huge pool of diverse, talented graduates who already have experience collaborating with people from differing backgrounds. It’s not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic one. The remarkable part of all this corporate giving is that it wouldn’t just be an act of kindness. The companies themselves would be among the beneficiaries, helping to create a huge pool of diverse, talented graduates who already have experience collaborating with people from differing backgrounds. It’s not just a moral imperative; it’s an economic one.
We should all be ashamed of the system America has created, in which colleges and universities are left to ask for donations or to raise already-high tuition. Government should fund higher education to a much greater degree. But if our government is failing higher education and dismantling laws that support its purpose, then other organizations must step in, or the nation will feel the effects of this disinvestment for decades. For democracy to thrive, higher education must thrive — and it all starts with who gets in the door.We should all be ashamed of the system America has created, in which colleges and universities are left to ask for donations or to raise already-high tuition. Government should fund higher education to a much greater degree. But if our government is failing higher education and dismantling laws that support its purpose, then other organizations must step in, or the nation will feel the effects of this disinvestment for decades. For democracy to thrive, higher education must thrive — and it all starts with who gets in the door.
Angel B. Pérez is the chief executive of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and worked as a college admission officer for more than 20 years.Angel B. Pérez is the chief executive of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and worked as a college admission officer for more than 20 years.
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