Report On Minorities In Higher Education

This volume contains 22 essays which aim to provide analysis, insight and information on such topics as: minority grants and fellowships; equity in higher education; financial aid strategies for improving minority student participation; and minorities and the new technologies.

This report presents data on the plans and expectations, preparation and course-taking patterns, college enrollment rates, and college persistence and completion of minorities in comparison with the majority, white population. The data reported show the following: (1) that while almost all high school seniors expect to complete at least some college, Hispanic seniors are less likely to plan to attend college right after high school; (2) that black and Hispanic graduates are less likely than white peers to make an immediate transition to college with Hispanics more likely to enroll in two-year colleges; (3) that white and Asian/Pacific Islanders are more likely than black and Hispanic counterparts to persist toward a bachelor's degree; (4) that black and American Indian/Alaskan Native graduates are less likely than white and Asian/Pacific Islanders to earn a bachelor's degree in 4 years or less; (5) that while several minority groups major in fields that will help them recoup college costs, black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islanders are less likely than whites to major in education, with the last-named group more likely than whites to major in computer science and engineering. The report also reviews an alternative approach to assessing these data. (Contains 35 references.) (CH)

There are over 20 million young people of color in the United States whose representation in STEM education pathways and in the STEM workforce is still far below their numbers in the general population. Their participation could help re-establish the United States' preeminence in STEM innovation and productivity, while also increasing the number of well-educated STEM workers. There are nearly 700 minority-serving institutions (MSIs) that provide pathways to STEM educational success and workforce readiness for millions of students of colorâ€"and do so in a mission-driven and intentional manner. They vary substantially in their origins, missions, student demographics, and levels of institutional selectivity. But in general, their service to the nation provides a gateway to higher education and the workforce, particularly for underrepresented students of color and those from low-income and first-generation to college backgrounds. The challenge for the nation is how to capitalize on the unique strengths and attributes of these institutions and to equip them with the resources, exceptional faculty talent, and vital infrastructure needed to educate and train an increasingly critical portion of current and future generations of scientists, engineers, and health professionals. Minority Serving Institutions examines the nation's MSIs and identifies promising programs and effective strategies that have the highest potential return on investment for the nation by increasing the quantity and quality MSI STEM graduates. This study also provides critical information and perspective about the importance of MSIs to other stakeholders in the nation's system of higher education and the organizations that support them.

Higher Education is in a state of ferment. People are seriously discussing whether the medieval ideal of the university as being excellent in all areas makes sense today, given the number of universities that we have in the world. Student fees are changing the orientation of students to the system. The high rate of non repayment of fees in the UK is provoking difficult questions about whether the current system of funding makes sense. There are disputes about the ratio of research to teaching, and further discussions about the international delivery of courses.