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| Higher Education
Discrimination Law in 2007: Legal Issues Facing Colleges and Universities Higher education discrimination law continues to evolve rapidly. Three years after they were handed down, the decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger continue to reverberate across higher education. In Michigan, where the cases originated, voters have recently passed a constitutional amendment barring the use of racial or gender preferences in education, employment and contracting. Under pressure from numerous advocacy groups, institutions continue to evaluate their admissions, financial aid and outreach programs to ensure compliance with the requirements of Grutter and Gratz. At the same time, another set of advocacy groups actively scrutinizes the application of college and university policies on speech, harassment, and non-discrimination on the basis of religion, political viewpoint, and sexual orientation, often allying themselves with student groups in the process. Indeed, today's colleges and universities have become one of the many battlegrounds in the political and cultural conflicts dividing American society, with discrimination law as one of the weapons wielded by all sides. This workshop addresses key and current issues in higher education discrimination law today, beginning with the on-going interpretation and application of the principles set forth in the Grutter and Gratz decisions, and including many of the most contentious and difficult discrimination and civil rights problems facing colleges and universities. Specific topics include: *Discrimination Law in 2007: From Non-Discrimination to Diversity and Affirmative Action to Reverse Discrimination--The Balancing Act *Diversity in Student Admissions and Financial Aid: Meeting and Documenting Grutter Threshhold Requirements *Dealing with Emotionally Troubled and Self-Destructive Students *Political Viewpoint and Religious Belief Discrimination *Criminal Records or Conduct and Discrimination Cases *Sexual Orientation Discrimination *Drafting Institutional Non-Discrimination Policies *Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: Retaliation Claims The program also includes two sets of small Discussion Groups allowing registrants to exchange ideas, pose questions, and share experiences and solutions. Discussion Group topics include Race-Conscious Admissions, Financial Aid and Outreach, Political and Religious Viewpoint Discrimination, Impact of State Initiatives Against Same-Sex Marriage and Affirmative Action, Gender Identity Discrimination, and Responding to Advocacy Groups. Please join your NACUA colleagues and hear from an array of experienced workshop faculty for this in-depth examination of critical discrimination law issues in higher education. |