Historically, the state of Texas has not effectively implemented public policy designed to achieve diversity. Citizens of the state of Texas do not fully appreciate implications of changing demographics, and they go beyond resisting facts to ignoring or procrastinating in developing solutions. Institutions using selective admissions have been perceived as inhospitable to minorities, possibly decreasing minority applications to those institutions. Use of standardized tests unduly limits admissions and has a chilling effect on motivations and aspirations of underserved populations, and the tests should be used as only one part of any selection process. Concerns related to access are often limited to focusing on admissions.
Full access transcends merely expanding admissions criteria.
It must also include making adequate financial resources available. Unless the socio-economic conditions of the state's minority populations change, more remediation and financial assistance will be required. The specific recommendations are outlined in the box on Page 5. The committee's recommendations are a significant improvement upon the generally more conventional policies used in many Texas colleges and universities. However, something is missing in the broad-ranging recommendations.