A Conversation on the Nature, Effects, and Future of Affirmative Action in Higher Education Admissions

Abstract

One of the panels at the 2014 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law’s Symposium on Educational Equity and the Constitution in the Twenty-First Century dealt with “Preferences, the Mismatch Question, and Improving the Racial Pipeline.” The four participants decided to skip the usual format of sequential presentations and instead have a conversation revolving around a series of questions. The result was so well received that we decided to adapt this approach into a joint contribution for the published Symposium. What follows is not a transcript or an adaptation of our January 2014 conversation, but rather a series of short essays on the questions discussed at the conference. For each of the twelve questions, one of us (in rotation) wrote a lead essay, and the rest of us made such responses and rejoinders as seemed fitting. We have edited the essays and added tables and charts to improve the flow of the exchanges and illustrate the content.