SAGE Lecture Spark [3/19/19] The Publisher of the Social Sciences

College Cheating Ringleader Says He Helped More Than 750 Families “The ringleader behind a $25 million college admission scam that implicated dozens of people, including Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, said he has worked with more than 750 families.” “William Rick Singer, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Boston federal court to racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges, said in a phone conversation recorded by the FBI that he helps ‘the wealthiest families in the U.S. get their kids into school.’” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/college-cheating-mastermind-says-he-helped-nearly-800-families-admissions-n982666

A 15-Year Study Reveals Why The College Admissions Scandal Was Inevitable “Many experts have argued for some time that higher education has lost its way, since it is excessively unaffordable and still doing a poor job preparing students for the workforce. As expectations have evolved, higher education has failed to evolve accordingly.” Some issues include that higher education has lost strategic clarity, lacks real accountability, is poorly governed, and is highly fragmented across silos. https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2019/03/18/a-15-year-study-reveals-why-the-college-admissions-scandal-was-inevitable/#5448821e5af0

A Look at Some of the Ways That Affluent Applicants Have an Edge—Without Bribery “The scandal in college admissions captured public attention last week with many expressing surprise that the system was not a pure meritocracy before the bribery scheme was hatched...” Those who are affluent have better access to counselors, essay “help,” and retaking SAT/ACTs, among other factors. They also are more likely to be located where colleges recruit, to demonstrate interest for programs, and to qualify for legacy preference. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/03/18/look-many-legal-ways-wealthy-applicants-have-edge-admissions

What the College Cheating Scandal Says about Race “[The scandal] has spurred discussions about why factors such as donations, athletics and legacy status are baked into the admissions process, which has traditionally benefitted wealthy families. Yet affirmative action, which is intended to help underrepresented minorities, gets intense scrutiny and legal challenges.” “‘Some people have said wealth is affirmative action for white people,’ said Anthony Jack, an assistant professor of education at Harvard University.” https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/14/us/college-admission-affirmative-action-race/index.html

Why Has The College Admissions Scandal Touched Such A Nerve? “There is probably no single explanation, but the scandal seems to strike at the intersection of some of Americans’ worst tendencies. One such tendency is deep anti-intellectualism in American culture.” “...The saturation coverage of the admissions scandal provides a much-needed opportunity for a constructive public discussion on how to make elite institutions more genuinely open to talented children of the non-rich.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/03/18/why-has-the-college-admissions-scandal-touched-such-a-nerve/#137896f430aa

Key Concepts Students in Media: College Admissions Scandal The university system in which you participate is flawed, partly due to its preference for those who are affluent. However, universities are not solely the problem. In exploring what the system means for the wealthy, the news outlets this week remained hyper-focused, covering little of what the scandal means for those who aren’t wealthy or white.

Assessment Writing: Please write about your experience of wealth, entering college, and the role your family played in your college entrance. Debate: Is it bad to give preference to those whose relatives have attended a university? Why or why not? Poll: Should those who were admitted to universities not entirely on the merit of their talents (from the scandal) now be removed from those universities? Yes, No, Unsure  Short Answer: Aside from talent or wealth, what other things do you think play a part in being admitted to a university? Use examples from the readings or come up with your own. Current Events Quiz Two articles this week mention affluent students having “legacy preference.” What is this? It has been argued that giving admissions bias to those who are wealthy also gives bias to those who are: Due to archaic accreditation standards, a “publish or perish” mindset, and tenure guaranteeing professors positions regardless of their continued quality, universities today lack: In addition to legacy preference, wealthy students can also benefit from being able to afford to repeatedly: Beyond discussing wealth or celebrities, Forbes discusses how this story can open up a discussion of: Answers Colleges giving preference to children of parents who attended that college White Accountability Retake entrance exams How to make university admission more talent-oriented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utZ0tZTfItg [Video still is not showing, but is embedded in the slide and should still play] “Why the college cheating scandal probably won't bring any change” Daniel Golden is the author of " The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges—and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates." Golden joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to discuss why he's most concerned about the rise of independent college counselors and how universities are ruled by wealthy parents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9DtoEz-Lzw "If you don't buy into the notion that rich people are disproportionately smarter than the average person, then there are a lot of things that you would consider pretty fishy," says Ivory Toldson, president of Quality Education for Minorities. That people become wealthy because they have worked hard "is a deception that is pervasive in our society," he adds.