The scarcity myth does more than fuel parents' and students' already heightened anxieties. It permeates schools' missions in subtle ways. It motivates colleges and universities to spend financial aid ...dollars not on the neediest students but on those it judges most meritorious. It motivates unnecessary spending on ancillary programs and facilities to attract students, spending that drives up tuition. Worst of all, it leads some faculty members to think less well of the worthy students right in front of them. All of us, not only educators, students, and their families, but employers, businesses, and society as a whole will benefit from thinking about educational opportunity as a widely distributed resource that nurtures extraordinary talent in many settings. Millions of excellent students have excellent choices, and the only real scarcity these days is a fitting appreciation of their talents and gifts.
Some institutions are requiring students to read essays and attend seminars on issues of diversity in response to heightened racial tensions on the campuses of many American colleges and ...universities. In some cases, these academic requirements can be fulfilled by taking a foreign language course. In summer 1995, Harvard University instituted a program of required readings for incoming freshmen on race, diversity, individual freedom, and community citizenship. Opinions on the merits of such a program from a number of university officials are presented.
