Ross Douthat and Affirmative Action

The issue of affirmative action in higher education is about to explode on the scene once again – as an article in this morning’s Texas Tribune notes.  A challenge to the use of race at the University of Texas at Austin will be argued before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on August 3, and the case could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ross Douthat’s column in Monday’s New York Times previews the debate to come as pitting elite universities concerned about racial diversity vs. white working-class Christians from conservative states who should be admitted in greater numbers to promote intellectual diversity.  But as I note in a post in the Chronicle of Higher Education, we should focus less on diversity of voices and more on an admissions process that is fair – and would consider merit in the context of obstacles overcome.

And who said the culture wars were over?