A Conference at Stanford

FACING THE COURTS OF LAW AND PUBLIC OPINION:

SOCIAL SCIENCE EVIDENCE ON DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Stanford Law School, Rm. 190

May 20-21, 1999

Sponsored by

Stanford University Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity

The American Education Research Association (AERA)

Abstract

The purpose of this conference is to weigh the social science evidence on the dynamics of race in colleges and universities with an eye towards informing the complementary arenas of the court of law and the court of public opinion. The conference will highlight the conclusions of a just-completed book manuscript, Compelling Interest: Examining the Evidence on Racial Dynamics in Colleges and Universities. The book highlights the major arenas of debate in efforts to diversify higher education, i.e., the notions of justice, merit, fairness, and benefits. The conference will bring together national experts and leaders in the law and public opinion-making to disseminate this information, and to discuss how research can play a role in this major societal debate. There will be a keynote address by Acting Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee. Most of the conference will be in the form of panel discussions that focus on the key arenas of debate. Members of the media will also be given an opportunity to direct questions to the lawyers and researchers participating in this conference.