Toward a Vision of Equity in College Access

Highlights

College admissions policies are receiving renewed attention amid numerous developments in California and nationally: A UC faculty task force is examining the role of tests in UC admissions; both CSU and UC are considering changes to course requirements; California policymakers are considering a bill to expand the use of college admissions tests for the purpose of high school accountability; federal prosecutors have indicted a group of parents for cheating on the SAT; and the College Board released a new tool to help colleges more fully consider students’ environmental contexts (high school and neighborhood) in admissions decisions.

College access is more important than ever, and the time is right for a fresh look at the research on college admissions and the implications for education equity. PACE and UC Berkeley brought together an amazing group of policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with the goal of:

• Deepening awareness of evidence regarding admissions practices, and their equity implications;
• Sharing innovations in admissions policy and practice in California and nationwide;
• Exploring possible directions for California postsecondary admissions policies.

Speakers include leaders from the State Board of Education, each of California’s institutions of higher education (UC, CSU, and community colleges), K-12 school districts, the College Board, and advocacy organizations, along with experts in college admissions and access from universities across California and nationwide.

Event speakers

• Michael Brown, Provost and Executive Vice President, University of California
• Prudence Carter, Dean, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education
• Sally Chen, Economic Justice Program Manager, Chinese for Affirmative Action
• Eddie Comeaux, Associate Professor of Higher Education, Graduate School of Education, UC Riverside
• Lupita Cortez Alcalá, Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education
• Linda Darling-Hammond, President, California State Board of Education; President and CEO, Learning Policy Institute
• Christopher Edley, Jr., Professor, UC Berkeley Law School
• Saul Geiser, Senior Associate, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley
• Heather J. Hough, Executive Director, PACE
• Jessica S. Howell, Vice President of Research, College Board
• Michael W. Kirst, former president, California State Board of Education; Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
• Nathan Kuncel, Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota
• Michal Kurlaender, Professor of Education Policy, UC Davis School of Education
• Nicholas Lemann, Professor, Columbia School of Journalism
• Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Chancellor, California Community Colleges
• Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, Professor of Education, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences
• Jesse Rothstein, Professor of Public Policy and Economics, UC Berkeley
• Joseph Soares, Professor of Sociology, Wake Forest University
• Chris Steinhauser, Superintendent, Long Beach Unified School District
• Joel Vargas, Vice President, JFF
• Mark Wilson, Professor, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education
• Alison Wrynn, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Programs, Innovations and Faculty Development, California State University

Agenda and Event Materials