Dive Brief:
- A recent survey taken by KiraTalent.com of more than 140 college admissions offices reveals that 97% of officers believe in fair admissions policies, but 71% who do not have anti-bias programming in place plan on creating such an initiative to limit its potential effects.
- More than 70% of respondents say that bias exists in college selection processes, but only 45% say it is an issue at their campus, and only 48% say they regularly discuss bias recognition and prevention strategies.
- Less than a third of admissions teams have a review system of three or more officials, and only 40% of institutions keep records of admission metrics or rubric activity on applications.
Dive Insight:
One of the biggest issues in the clamor for safe space and the fight against hyper political correctness is the notion that everyone is exaggerating how bad or how normal the activity actually is. But when you consider that racial, ethnic or income-based bias can begin before students even arrive to campus, it's not difficult to see how homogenous groups or approaches take root on a campus.
This is a significant concern for institutions seeking increased diversity, or to reduce concerns about the same from both minorities and white students nationwide. The search for solutions while maintaining compliance with state and federal non-discrimination laws will not be easy to come by, but this survey is the first in showcasing just how deep and how early diversity problems begin on campuses.