HISTORICAL TIMELINE 2

Historical Timeline

I have chosen the topic category of Diversity and will examine promoting
diversity and inclusion in America. Over time, the U.S population has steadily become more
diverse in its ethnic and racial composition. The timeline will look at educational attainment
across different racial and ethnic communities since the 1960s.

Link to the timeline: https://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/1514410/EDU-586-Week-1-
Assignment/\

Overall, the affirmative action opened doors for women and minority groups to access
higher education. The policy made diversity in American colleges a concrete reality. Shortly
after, the Higher Education Act of 1965 was enacted. Students could now get tailored
packages of aid that solely depended on their individual needs. Diversity was enacted as
more students could access colleges regardless of their background. Progress was continual

HISTORICAL TIMELINE 3
across different administrations. During the Obama administration in 2009, the American
Education Tax Credits was established to help students from poor families afford college
fees. A year later, more money was made available to needy students. Pell grants were
adjusted and tied to inflation such that they changed according to depending on inflation rates
in the country. In 2013, a supreme court ruling upheld a race-conscious admissions program
where students are not only admitted to college based on merit but race as well. This ensured
that colleges enhanced diversity in their camps by ensuring that no race is underrepresented.
These milestones are important to my selected topic as they show progress made in
promoting diversity in America’s higher education.
Some of the questions that I have to include;
 Are race-conscious admission programs achieving their goal of enhancing diversity in
higher education?
 Has the Higher Education Act of 1965 effectively achieved its purpose of enhancing
diversity?
 What more can be done to promote diversity and inclusion in America’s higher
education?

HISTORICAL TIMELINE 4

References

American Association for the Advancement of Science, & American Association for the
Advancement of Science. (2010). Handbook on diversity and the law: Navigating a
complex landscape to foster greater faculty and student diversity in higher
education. Washington DC.
Herring, C., & Henderson, L. (2012). From affirmative action to diversity: Toward a critical
diversity perspective. Critical Sociology, 38(5), 629-643.
Kahlenberg, R. D. (2014). The Future of Affirmative Action New Paths to Higher Education
Diversity after Fisher v. University of Texas. The Century Foundation.