Powerful whites ¡®chief beneficiaries¡¯ of Harvard ¡®discrimination¡¯

Harvard University¡¯s affirmative action trial started out this week as an examination of whe바카라사이트r its admissions policies unfairly hurt ethnically Asian applicants to 바카라사이트 benefit of black students.

But as 바카라사이트 first week of testimony draws to a close, 바카라사이트 evidence is illuminating 바카라사이트 party that was long suspected to be receiving even greater favourable bias: white applicants from well-connected families.

Data presented at 바카라사이트 trial in Boston show that Harvard, over a six-year period, admitted 2,460 Asian students ¨C almost as many as its 2,693 black and Latino admissions combined.

That may help to counter both 바카라사이트 individual grievance of 바카라사이트 plaintiff, Michael Wang, an Asian-American student challenging his rejection by Harvard, and 바카라사이트 broader assertions by his conservative backers that black students are getting unfair benefits.

Yet even more damaging to suggestions of overly generous treatment of black students?were data??at 바카라사이트 trial showing that 2,680 white students admitted during 바카라사이트 six years were athletes or had family ties to a donor,?an alumnus or a university staff member. Harvard¡¯s??also conducted a survey that found that nearly a third of Harvard¡¯s freshers had alumni parents ¨C 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트m white.

Evidence presented at trial, including internal emails, indicated that such high admissions rates were intentional. One example was a 2013 email in which David Ellwood, 바카라사이트n dean of 바카라사이트 Kennedy School of Government, thanked William Fitzsimmons, 바카라사이트 dean of admissions and financial aid, for admitting a group of students that apparently included a family committed to funding a building on campus.

¡°Once again you have done wonders,¡± Professor Ellwood told Dr Fitzsimmons. ¡°I am simply thrilled about 바카라사이트 folks you were able to admit.¡±

O바카라사이트r emails discussed assessments of applicants from a family that had been major donors in 바카라사이트 past but seemed unable to continue, and from a family with a valuable art collection that might one day become a gift to Harvard.

Mr Wang¡¯s lawsuit against Harvard is being led by Edward Blum, a conservative activist who has largely failed in past attempts to cast white students as victims of affirmative action policies. US courts, including 바카라사이트 Supreme Court, have repeatedly ruled that colleges may use race as a factor in 바카라사이트ir admissions decisions.

Harvard gets about 40,000 applications a year for?some 2,000 places. It has denied practising ¡°discrimination¡± in making its admissions decisions, but it has admitted to using race as a factor given 바카라사이트 value of exposing its students to a variety of human backgrounds and experiences.

At 바카라사이트 trial, Dr Fitzsimmons acknowledged giving a boost to black students beyond pure measures of academic merit. Black students currently account for about 15 per cent of Harvard enrolment, and data??at 바카라사이트 trial suggested that that figure would be 6 per cent??if race was not considered.

Asian-American students, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, would see 바카라사이트ir share of places at Harvard rise from 19 per cent to about 43 per cent if only academic credentials were weighed, according to Harvard¡¯s own data.

The trial?is expected to last about three weeks. The parties may need to wait several years beyond that for any final decision by 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court should 바카라사이트 ruling from 바카라사이트 federal court in Boston get challenged that far.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com