I teach introductory biology courses at a local state university and a nearby community college, both of which offer a few, limited programs that literally ask me to point out students who are black or have Hispanic-sounding last names. Meanwhile, the same politically correct mavens who promulgate these programs are constantly railing against stereotyping!
I hope we can get beyond worrying about the color, gender, or ethnicity of our students and start treating them as individuals. I hope these "minority science programs" will soon evolve into programs that are concerned with the success of every at-risk student. Undoubtedly, at least in the near term, participation in these programs will draw most heavily from minority populations, but that is a far cry from strictly limiting them to members of those populations. If we need more trained scientists, then we need more trained scientists--period. And if a student needs help, we ought ...
