Access & Diversity Collaborative Meets in
Washington, D.C.
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| Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley |
The College Board’s Access & Diversity Collaborative held a seminar on institutional change in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Meeting in the law offices of former Secretary of Education Richard Riley, 20 experts from every level of education came to engage in a meaningful conversation about ways to bring diversity onto their campuses within the confines of current federal law.
Participants came to Washington equipped with a strong understanding of current admissions law and the surrounding issues. Many of the issues related to diversity are similar among most institutions, and there is consensus about the main objectives. Because the group represented virtually every level and sector of education — policymakers, administrators, deans of admissions and financial aid, directors of other organizations with similar objectives — the discussions were rich and insightful, focusing on ways to animate diversity policies and legally
employ them.
Ideas and experiences were shared about what had or had not worked at other universities as admissions and financial aid policies were recrafted to achieve goals for diversity. Helping people on campus understand that diversity is a laudable goal and educating the public is critical, because even if an institution wins in the court of law, it can lose in the court of public opinion. The example of the Supreme Court ruling upholding affirmative action at the University of Michigan was cited. Although Michigan prevailed in the courts, its efforts were defeated in a ballot initiative the following year. Other topics included how the economy and changing demographics will affect programs in the next few years.
Secretary Riley joined the meeting and spent a generous amount of time talking with the group, sharing his experiences and imparting wisdom with regard to building consensus among many groups with very different points of view. He said that the most important thing for someone who’s in the middle is to be a good listener. People will argue every side of an issue, but if you can refrain from imposing your own point of view and hear what each group is saying, you’ll eventually know where the consensus can be found. This is how you can build consensus and effect policy change. Riley quoted his favorite philosopher, a cartoon character named Dilbert, who once said, “Change is difficult; you go first!”
Other notable attendees included Karl Furstenberg, who had a 17-year tenure as dean of admissions and financial aid at Dartmouth; Tally Hart, former head of financial aid at Ohio State University and current senior adviser for Ohio State’s Economic Access Initiative; and Larry A. Griffith, a vice president at the United Negro College Fund who directs the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which promotes academic excellence and provides opportunities for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential.
The day ended with a reception, where Riley stayed until the very end speaking with anyone who was interested. He was delighted to collaborate and encouraged everyone in their work. Brad Quin, executive director of higher education advocacy and special initiatives at the College Board, remarked that “there was a significant optimism on the part of Riley and the other participants about the climate on Capitol Hill with the new administration."
The event, which was the third in a series of seminars titled “Leading Institutional Change,” was co-sponsored by EducationCounsel, a subsidiary of Secretary Riley’s law firm. These advanced national seminars are designed for higher education officials who have a basic knowledge of legal and policy fundamentals and who want to enhance their ability to help lead institutional change through more robust attention to key communications strategies, emerging research, and major federal and state policy trends of relevance. These seminars also move beyond an enrollment management focus and address a broad array of key institutional issues, including policy leadership and program evaluation. The next seminar will be at University of California, Berkeley, in June.
There is also a seminar — “Knowing the Basics. Federal Case 101” — designed for higher education officials who seek to enhance their understanding of basic legal, policy and communications principles essential to developing educationally and legally sound enrollment management policies. To learn more about the Access & Diversity Collaborative or these seminars, please visit its Web site.
