ABSTRACT
American education is subject to two contrasting underlying motifs: egalitarianism, the argument that everyone should have opportunities for success, and elitism, the restriction of opportunities to the most “deserving”— which often means to those from a relatively privileged home. At different times, one or the other motif is dominant. The social forces of the 1960s, which led to open enrollment at The City University of New York, for example, produced a generation of egalitarian policies in higher education in general and in writing programs in particular. As we move into a new century, we seem to be cycling back into a time of elitism. Those of us concerned about preserving the opportunities newly opened to the poor and to racial minorities had best prepare arguments to defend these gains against both well-meaning academics arguing for a new elitism and less well-intentioned legislatures and governing boards.
