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ytoruno
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Is there such a thing? And if there is, is it as pronounced as in the undergraduate admissions process.
arunma said:I can't say anything authoritatively, but from my graduate class composition, I'd say most likely not. Of the fourteen students in my first year class, there are four Chinese, one Korean, one Thai, one Nepali, and seven of us Americans. My class is actually an anomaly, since there are usually a lot more Chinese. Off hand I can't think of any African Americans or Latinos (professors or grad students) in the entire department. While I can only cite the stats for my own department, most physics departments in America are populated largely by Chinese, so I'm guessing that it's fairly similar wherever you go. Doesn't look to me like there's much affirmative action in physics graduate programs.
Of course, it's worth noting that virtually all graduate programs are equal opportunity, but this goes without saying.
arunma said:I can't say anything authoritatively, but from my graduate class composition, I'd say most likely not. Of the fourteen students in my first year class, there are four Chinese, one Korean, one Thai, one Nepali, and seven of us Americans. My class is actually an anomaly, since there are usually a lot more Chinese. Off hand I can't think of any African Americans or Latinos (professors or grad students) in the entire department. While I can only cite the stats for my own department, most physics departments in America are populated largely by Chinese, so I'm guessing that it's fairly similar wherever you go. Doesn't look to me like there's much affirmative action in physics graduate programs.
Of course, it's worth noting that virtually all graduate programs are equal opportunity, but this goes without saying.
TVP45 said:So, if 25% of the American population is missing, perhaps one needs to say something about equal opportunity
quadraphonics said:I wasn't aware that affirmative action was still practiced at the undergrad level, or anywhere else for that matter... or I guess it's just "quotas" that have been outlawed?
Benzoate said:Why do you automatically come to the assumption that blacks and latinos who are admitted to grad school is because of affirmative action? You think there are not blacks or latinos who are admitted to grad school because of merit?
arunma said:I don't think you've drawn the correct conclusion from my earlier comments. As I said, I have failed to find any Latino or black graduate students or professors at my university. Mind you, we have ~100 grad students and ~40 professors. Clearly this indicates that either there are no minority applicants, that all the minority applicants have bad academic records (which seems highly unlikely), or that at best the department practices no affirmative action. I mention blacks and Latinos because these are the groups generally associated with affirmative action. For example, Chinese, Koreans, and Indians are technically minorities in America, but they (especially Chinese) are vastly overrepresented in physics, and thus would never be the beneficiaries of any affirmative action program.
Benzoate said:We shouldn't admit students just to make a university look 'colorful' because in reality, different ethnic groups are not going to pursue the same interests.
Benzoate said:It seems like you are assuming that blacks could not be able to get in without affirmative action if they did apply for grad school. You know affirmative action really doesn't apply to black africans and black immigrants but affirmative action does not apply to them. As a black person , I hate we school, and physics magazines try to show how diverse there faculty by simply admitting certain groups based on there background. You know they used to restrict the number of jewish applicants applying to ivy league universities because many on the grad school committee thought there were too many jews already overrepresented in ivy league universities? Luckily this practice has ceased.(or has it?) Everytime I see a physicist who is a minority(black or latino) in physics magazines, they are always talking about the recruitment of minorities into the sciences instead of actually talking about a physics topic or their own personal research.
Benzoate said:We shouldn't admit students just to make a university look 'colorful' because in reality, different ethnic groups are not going to pursue the same interests. Maybe affirmative action should apply to the NBA as well because there are not many white people in the NBA.
Benzoate said:At the same time, call me a radical for thinking this, but we should not dismiss a student (regardless of race, gender , and creed) just because he/she does not meet the required GPA for admittance. We really should(at university level anyway) admit students who are truly interested in studying physics . At university, students are supposed to grow as physicists so we should not expect admitted students to come in knowing everything. We are training students to be physicists. Maybe after students have graduated and are looking for a job, then GPA (physics GPA) should matter.
bravernix said:Why would they be expected not to? By that logic you could just say that physics is a white man's game and we should not bother trying to get minorities or women interested in the field. Diversity can quite often yield interesting perspectives that may otherwise not have been considered, not to mention it usually makes for a more interesting and enjoyable environment.
Also, I thought the point of affirmative action was to give people opportunities that they may not have otherwise had. Say, for example, a black student attending an extremely poor "inner city" high school that maybe was very interested in pursuing science but was not in an environment conducive to doing so.
Also, I thought the point of affirmative action was to give people opportunities that they may not have otherwise had. Say, for example, a black student attending an extremely poor "inner city" high school that maybe was very interested in pursuing science but was not in an environment conducive to doing so
Benzoate said:As a black person , I hate we school, and physics magazines try to show how diverse there faculty by simply admitting certain groups based on there background.
arunma said:n my undergrad experience I know there are many people who are interested in physics, but who suck at it. For the most part physics doesn't require you to be a genius, but it requires a lot of hard work. A lot of my peers in undergrad had a true passion for the subject, but weren't willing to put in the work that it took to be successful. If a department is going to pay a grad student thousands of dollars to do research there, it needs to know that this student is going to actually graduate some day.
arunma said:For example, Chinese, Koreans, and Indians are technically minorities in America, but they (especially Chinese) are vastly overrepresented in physics, and thus would never be the beneficiaries of any affirmative action program.
Affirmative action in grad school is a policy that aims to increase diversity and representation of historically underrepresented groups, such as racial minorities and women, in graduate programs. This can involve preferential treatment in admissions and hiring processes to achieve a more diverse student body and faculty.
Affirmative action may impact the admissions process by giving preference to applicants from underrepresented groups, even if their qualifications are slightly lower than other applicants. This is done to promote diversity and equal opportunity in grad school admissions.
Eligibility for affirmative action in grad school typically includes individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women. However, eligibility criteria may vary depending on the specific institution and their policies.
Affirmative action can benefit grad school students by providing a more diverse and inclusive learning environment. It can also help to address past and present discrimination and promote equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of their background.
Yes, there can be challenges to affirmative action in grad school, such as accusations of reverse discrimination and concerns about the effectiveness of the policy in promoting true diversity and equal opportunity. However, many institutions continue to support and implement affirmative action as a means to address systemic inequalities and promote diversity.