Press Releases

The College Board’s Access and Diversity Collaborative Publishes New Policy Paper

In Response to State Voter Judgments on the Use of Race in Admissions

03/23/07

NEW YORK—The College Board has launched a new series of public policy papers on issues related to access and diversity in higher education.  From Federal Law to State Voter Initiatives:  Preserving Higher Education’s Authority to Achieve the Educational, Economic, Civic, and Security Benefits Associated with a Diverse Student Body was commissioned by the Access and Diversity Collaborative in response to the November 2006 Michigan state constitutional amendment forbidding the use of race, ethnicity, or gender in public education—the third such decision in a decade.  

The paper provides background information on the history and impact of voter initiatives, identifies topics that have received insufficient attention in the public discourse on such initiatives, and suggests action strategies that might be pursued by higher education institutions to deflect or defeat future voter initiatives. This publication is part of an ongoing effort by the College Board to reinforce and align with the work colleges and universities are doing to ensure that their access and diversity policies are well developed, both legally and educationally. From Federal Law to State Voter Initiatives was written by Arthur L. Coleman and his Education Policy Team colleagues at Holland + Knight.

The paper is available online at   www.collegeboard.com/diversitycollaborative under Background & Publications.

The College Board Access and Diversity Collaborative was created by the College Board in 2004—in the wake of the University of Michigan U.S. Supreme Court decisions—to assist colleges and universities in developing and implementing their diversity-related policies in light of core institutional goals and federal nondiscrimination law. Part of the College Board’s advocacy program, the Collaborative has provided extensive training to higher education institutions nationwide. To date, over 15 national seminars (with more than 800 representatives from 300 institutions and organizations in attendance) have been conducted, and numerous guides that address key strategic planning and policy development issues in light of federal law have been published and widely distributed.

Holland & Knight’s Education Policy Team provides states, school districts, universities, and other education providers across the country with a unique array of legal, policy, strategic planning, and advocacy services. With a focus on preventive law, the team helps education leaders meet their goals in ways that also satisfy federal legal requirements, thereby improving educational outcomes while reducing the risk of litigation or enforcement. The team’s advocacy services help education leaders work with the U.S. Department of Education and Congress to ensure that the sound education principles are reflected in federal law and policy.  Holland & Knight's Education Policy Team includes two former deputy assistant secretaries for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Education and a former deputy general counsel in the U.S. Department of Education.