Affirmative action in the higher education admissions process
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine if administrators, faculty, staff, and students perceive differently the use of affirmative action in the college admissions process at Tennessee State University (TSU). This research examines the general knowledge, perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes regarding affirmative action in the higher education college admissions process of the different university participant groups. The results of the study were used to make recommendations to assist future administrators, faculty, staff, and students in addressing the need to have affirmative action programs, educational seminars and open forums in place for enlightened informational exchange at the University. The study sample (N = 325) included respondents from four different participant groups. In addition to the demographic information provided and the comparisons among the various group means, focus was placed ethnicity, gender, and academic discipline to determine any relationship that may exist. Data were gathered using the Echols' Affirmative Action Inventory (EAAI) © 1997. Sixteen hypotheses were tested through the use of ANOVA, two-way ANOVA and Fisher's PLSD tests. The 325 completed surveys revealed the following: Not all administrators, faculty, staff, and students: maintain the same perceptions and behaviors exhibiting diversity as it relates to affirmative action; maintain the same attitude about quotas as it relates to affirmative action being used in the college admissions process; and not all academic disciplines maintain the same perceptions and behaviors exhibiting diversity as it relates to affirmative action. These results support the findings of previous research studies using a variation of the same survey used in this study (Virgil, 2000) and (Echols, 1997). Further research could be conducted to determine the general knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors of diversity, perceptions of quotas and attitudes toward moral and ethics as they all relate to the use of affirmative action in the college admissions process at a majority White institution in Tennessee, another HBCU in Tennessee, and again at TSU after various administrative programs, sensitivity trainings and curriculum changes have been implemented and then, compare and contrast the findings of the new research with the findings of this research.
Subject Area
Educational administration|Higher education
Recommended Citation
D. Lee McGahey,
"Affirmative action in the higher education admissions process"
(2007).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3277920.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3277920