California bans legacy admissions at private universities (nytimes.com)

Article summary

California has introduced a law related to private universities, which has sparked a discussion about legacy admissions and potential workarounds. The law's specifics are not detailed, but it appears to be a 'name and shame' approach rather than an outright ban. Commenters are debating the effectiveness and potential consequences of such a law. The conversation also touches on the broader context of university funding, admissions processes, and social inequality.

Main themes

• Legacy Admissions
• University Funding
• Social Inequality
• Regulatory Workarounds
• Education Policy
• Private Universities

What commenters say

• The law may not be effective in preventing legacy admissions, as private universities can find ways to circumvent it by introducing new evaluation criteria.
• Legacy admissions should be banned outright, as they perpetuate social inequality and unfair advantages for certain groups.
• The root issue is not legacy admissions, but rather the lack of public funding for universities, which forces them to rely on private capital and favor wealthy donors.
• Private universities should be allowed to set their own admissions criteria, as long as they are not discriminating based on protected characteristics.
• The law is likely to face legal challenges, particularly with regards to freedom of association and the rights of private institutions.
• The focus should be on addressing the systemic issues that lead to inequality in education, rather than just targeting legacy admissions.
• Some argue that legacy students often have better academic credentials, but others counter that this is due to unequal access to resources and opportunities.
• The law's approach may be too narrow, and a more comprehensive solution is needed to address the complex issues surrounding university admissions and funding.