‘Progressive’ Women’s Groups Ignore Admissions Favoritism for Men

Ashley Thorne

Cross posted from Phi Beta Cons

To boost declining male enrollment, colleges are giving admissions preferences to men. Gail Heriot, professor of law at the University of San Diego and a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, initiated an investigation into the disparity last year. Last month the Commission canceled the investigation after three colleges failed to provide requested data.

Richard Whitmire, author of Why Boys Fail, has a piece in Inside Higher Ed pointing out that national women’s organizations such as NOW and the AAUW have refused to support this initiative. In “Missed Opportunity,” he writes, “The women’s groups, says Heriot, see themselves as progressives favoring racial preferences. They fear any curtailment of the authority to favor men could lead to a twin curtailment placed on favoring minorities.” The AAUW’s response does not answer these charges and claims instead that there is no problem of discrimination against women in college admissions.

Whitmire, however, perceives that both men and women — but especially men — are hurt by an education system that dis-serves male students. He laments, “As long as parents of middle-class boys see their sons easily get into college, the appetite for forcing changes at K–12 schools to make academics more boy-friendly will go nowhere. And that means the academic gender gaps will persist.”

  • Share

Most Commented

January 8, 2025

1.

NAS Condemns the AHA's “Scholasticide” Resolution

The National Association of Scholars condemns the “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza,” which the members of the American Historical Association passed by 428 t......

February 24, 2025

2.

NAS Applauds the American Bar Association's Suspension of DEI Rules

The American Bar Association must now move beyond suspending the enforcement of its misbegotten rules to the elimination of the rules themselves....

February 13, 2025

3.

The Grown Ups are Back: On Gender, Trump Replaces Confusion and Chaos with Clarity and Common Sense

With this administration, the grown ups are back: Trump is replacing confusion and chaos with clarity and common sense—not just for women’s sports but also for America....

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

May 26, 2010

3.

10 Reasons Not to Go to College

A sampling of arguments for the idea that college may not be for everyone....