Legacies on the way out, SATs on the way back, more David Brooks

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Feb 17, 2024

Merit Matters: Congress Takes Aim at Legacy Admissions, Virginia Leads the Way

Congress Unites to Revamp College Admissions: A triumphant showcase of bipartisan teamwork targets fairness in higher education. Led by Senator Todd Young, the MERIT Act aims to end legacy admissions, championing equality in education. With both Democrats and Republicans rallying behind the bill, it's clear: merit, not money, should pave the path to college. Meanwhile, in the Ivy Leagues, the University of Pennsylvania faces the heat as the Education Department investigates its legacy preference practice of prioritizing applicants with family ties. Following in Harvard's footsteps, the spotlight on Penn raises concerns about potential racial discrimination in admissions. Virginia steps up as a trendsetter, ready to scrap legacy perks in all public universities. With overwhelming support from lawmakers and Governor Youngkin's nod, it's a victory for meritocracy. By July 1, the game changes, ushering in a new era of fair admissions at top institutions like UVA and William & Mary. Could Virginia Be the bellwether in the National Legacy Admissions Debate?

Sources Bipartisan Congress wants to defund colleges over legacy admissions — it’s about time (NYPost) Penn’s legacy admissions under investigation by Education Department (Higher Ed Dive)

Virginia Moves to End Legacy Admissions at Its Public Universities (NY Times)

Flipping the Switch: Elite Colleges Rethink SAT Requirements

Speaking of merit, top-tier colleges are sparking debate with talks of reintroducing the SAT, signaling a major shift in admissions. Elite institutions like Harvard and Princeton, once test-optional, now eye the SAT to level the playing field. As the debate heats up, politics and standardized tests again face off as critics highlight fairness concerns amidst racial and class disparities. With SAT and ACT scores on the backburner, how will administrators navigate the applicant flood? According to Brown University's President, Christina Paxson, standardized tests remain crucial for predicting academic prowess. And in a bold move, Dartmouth College reinstates SAT/ACT requirements, leading the Ivy League charge, post-pandemic. Backed by compelling research, Vice President Lee Coffin champions the move “for a more robust admissions approach.” Stay tuned as the SAT debate continues to unfold.

Sources

Could Elite Colleges Embrace the SAT Again? (Reason)

The Misguided War on the SAT (NY Times)

Dartmouth Reinstates SAT Requirement in First for Ivy League (Wall Street Journal)

ShortStack: Important News From All Over

The Real Problem With American Universities (The Atlantic)

NCAA sued over NIL rules after Tennessee football investigation (ESPN)

U of Louisiana System Subpoenas Journalist in Title IX Lawsuit (Inside Higher Ed)

Jewish Scholars Defend Harvard Professor on Antisemitism Task Force (Inside Higher Ed)

The Party of Education in 2024 Will it be the Democrats? The Republicans? Or neither? (Education Next)

U.S. Opens 2nd Civil Rights Investigation Into Harvard (Inside Higher Ed)

High school senior FAFSA submissions drop almost 57% year over year, NCAN finds (Higher Ed Dive)

US Education Dept. investigates Harvard following complaint from Pro-Palestinian students (GBH News)

PEN America Cites 6 Bills ‘Dangerous’ for Higher Ed (Inside Higher Ed)

California’s Push for Ethnic Studies Runs Into the Israel-Hamas War (New York Times)

Foxx demands Cardona resignation over antisemitism response (Higher Ed Dive)

Title IX regulations advance to White House after significant delay (Higher Ed Dive)

Student Housing Has a New Mantra: Bigger Is Better (New York Times)

Pro-Palestine Harvard Students Mocked Over 12-Hour Hunger Strike (New Boston Post)

The Giving Legacies of Four Modern-Day Presidents (Philanthropy Roundtable)

Dear David Brooks: A penny for your thoughts?

As great opinion writers often do, David Brooks reminds us this week why we need great academics, citing Damon Linker, who teaches a course on Isiah Berlin (“and others”) at the U. of Pennsylvania to set us straight about putting the world back together. Noting that America is “politically dysfunctional,” with “Congress unable to make decisions about basic issues,” Brooks turns to Linker (who has posted his latest thoughts on Substack under the title “When Liberalism was at Its Best—1,” and Berlin, the mid-20^th century British philosopher who championed the idea of “value pluralism,” “a way of thinking,” says Brooks, “that is fundamental to being a citizen in a democracy.” Brooks wrote a tougher piece last fall, Universities Are Failing at Inclusion, citing other notable thinkers and academics (Michel Foucault and Derrick Bell) to explain “ a hard-edged ideological framework that has been spreading in high school and college.” It doesn’t have a good name yet, says Brooks, but can be characterized by not emphasizing what unites us but what divides us, a belief that “human relations are power struggles between oppressors and oppressed groups,” that “a person in one group can never really understand the experience of someone in another group,” and that “bigotry and racism are permanent and indestructible components of American society.” Dear David, a penny for your thoughts?

Sources

The Cure for What Ails Our Democracy (New York Times

When Liberalism was at Its Best—1 (Substack)

Universities Are Failing at Inclusion (NY Times)

PaideiaTimes Weekly

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