Increasing Diversity in
Science and Higher Education
WASHINGTON (April 28, 2010) --The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The Association of American Universities (AAU) released today guidance regarding higher education efforts to achieve diversity among their students and faculty who are pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM] careers and the national imperative for making these efforts successful.
Now, a first-of-its-kind handbook from the AAAS and the AAU offers in-depth, cross-referenced legal resources to help promote effective diversity programs for science faculty and students.
EducationCounsel LLC, an affiliate of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, helped lead the development of these resources and the national convenings sponsored by the AAAS and the AAU. Participating in the national release of these materials was Former Secretary of Education and current EducationCounsel Senior Partner Richard Riley and EducationCounsel Co-Managing Partner Art Coleman, who led the EducationCounsel team that supported this national initiative.
The new handbook—Navigating A Complex Landscape To Foster Greater Faculty and Student Diversity in Higher Education—offers instruction on how diversity-related state laws may affect interpretations of federal law. It also reviews key legal issues, including:
- the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause;
- Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin by public and private recipients of federal funds;
- Title IV, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin;
- Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination;
- and an array of specific legal decisions.
To learn more about the handbook and the importance of diversity in science fields, please read the original announcement here.
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