ABSTRACT
Longitudinal, national, or systematic data regarding the participation of women and minorities as students in higher education are at best sketchy. Information on women has improved since the 1970s, but either the data are limited to gross categories or the categories reported vary by year. Data for minorities in higher education are even more deficient. As with government and industry, the major explanations for low female and minority participation in higher education seem to fall into various categories of direct and indirect discrimination, although other reasons are often cited. The absence of minority or female role models—usually the result of past discrimination in hiring—also has a negative effect on students. According to the National Board on Graduate Education, minority students feel more isolated and interact less frequently with faculty. Screening procedures in higher education can also have a negative effect on women.
