Report Offers Guidelines For Sustaining Diversity Efforts in S&T

Prompted by confusion over the dual rulings in the University of Michigan affirmative action cases last year, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering have released a new report to clarify the legalities and offer options for implementing and sustaining diversity programs within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The U.S. Supreme Court rulings on Grutter v. University of Michigan and Gratz v. Bollinger, which upheld the Law School’s admission policy but struck down the undergraduate admission policy, triggered confusion among academic, nonprofit and federal institutions, according to AAAS. Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM Educators in the Post-Michigan Era proposes eight principles for increasing the participation of minorities in STEM and urges leaders to specify diversity goals within their institutional missions. In formulating the principles, AAAS utilized a discussion from a panel of diversity program architects during a conference held earlier in the year.

The report also offers examples of existing federal programs that encourage diversity by inclusive, rather than exclusive, approaches. Within STEM fields, the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program, which supports innovative approaches by institutions to increase the number of women entering and advancing within the professoriate, and the Research in Disabilities Education program are given as prime examples.

According to AAAS, the U.S. federal government typically has provided legal interpretations to help institutions in situations of legal confusion. However, AAAS states, it has been a year after the ruling and guidance has yet to be made available. In response, the guidebook features a legal primer to help institutions navigate the rulings. Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM Educators in the Post-Michigan Era is available at: http://www.aaas.org/standingourground/