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The purpose of this study was to investigate the probability that race was a factor in the admissions process at Virginia Tech. The study was conducted in three parts. In the first part, logistic regression was used to develop a probability of admission model for eight demographically distinct groups for the years 1994-1998 using information that was presented to the university by all first-time freshman applicants considering grade point average (GPA), scholastic aptitude tests (SAT), high school rank (HSR), requested major (RM), gender and race. The eight demographic groups were: African American men (BM), African American women (BF), Asian American men (AM), Asian American women (AF), Hispanic American men (HM), Hispanic American women (HF), white American men (WM), and white American women (WF). The Bonferroni correction and the Wald tests were carried out to determine significance in the observed differences. Significant differences were found. The two African American groups and the white female group were found to have significantly higher probabilities of getting accepted than other groups while the two Asian groups were found to have the least probability of getting accepted. The null hypothesis that there was no difference between the groups with regard to probability of getting accepted was thus rejected. GPA was found to be the most important admission criteria followed by SAT scores. The admissions criteria were found to be important for all applicants regardless of group membership. Between group differences detected in the study was mainly the result of differences in cut-off points. The second part of the study involved evaluating the reasons that were given for rejection of admission in 1998. A stratified sample of 400 was randomly selected. The chi-square test was used to determine if there were differences between the eight groups with regard to reasons given for rejection. The frequency with which the reasons were given was also examined. It was found that there were no differences between the groups and, therefore, the null hypothesis was confirmed. GPA related reasons were the most cited for rejection followed by SAT scores. This was consistent with the finding in the first part of this study that GPA and SAT were the most important admission criteria In the third part of the study, the director of admissions and the deputy director of admissions for freshman admissions were interviewed. It was determined from them that affirmative action did not influence the university's admissions decisions but that race was "one of the many factors considered during the admissions process." Based upon the finding in the first part of this study that the two African American groups consistently had the highest probabilities of acceptance in the five years under study, it was concluded that the use of race was intended to benefit applicants from the two groups. This conclusion was further based on the information collected from the interview with the admissions officers which suggested that Affirmative action in the state of Virginia applied only to African Americans and also that there were targeted goals in the state intended to increase the number of African Americans in the state's public higher education institutions. The admissions officers could, however, not provide any references to support this information. Consultations with a professor at the university and the university's vice president for multicultural affairs suggested that there was no state mandate or requirement that public institutions in the state adopt targeted goals as a means of increasing the number of African Americans in the state's public higher education institutions. They also doubted that affirmative action could be applied to one ethnic group only. It was concluded, however, that since the admissions officers made these assertions during the interview, these perceived state requirements may have led them to deliberately seek to increase the number of African American students accepted by the university and that these deliberate efforts may have been behind the high probabilities of the acceptance of students from the two African American groups. The fact that the admissions officers may have deliberately sought to increase the number of African Americans on the campus to satisfy perceived state mandates or requirements and the finding in the first part of this study that the two African American groups consistently had the highest probabilities of getting accepted by the university in the five years under study suggested that admission to the university was not race blind. It was also concluded that since external pressure may have been the cause of the high probabilities for the African American groups, admission to the university was not entirely the prerogative of the university. / Master of Arts

It is the aim of this paper to review some of the work done on stable matching, and on stable marriage problems in particular. Variants of the stable marriage problem will be considered, and the similarities and differences from a mathematical point of view will be highlighted. The correlation between preference and stability is a main theme, and the way in which diluted or incomplete preferences affect stability is explored. Since these problems have a wide range of practical applications, it is of interest to develop useful algorithms for the derivation of solutions. Time-complexity is a key factor in designing computable algorithms, making work load a strong consideration for practical purposes. Average and worst-case complexity are discussed. The number of different solutions that are possible for a given problem instance is surprising, and counter-intuitive. This leads naturally to a study of the solution sets and the lattice structure of solutions that emerges for any stable marriage problem. Many theorems derive from the lattice structure of stable solutions and it is shown that this can lead to the design of more efficient algorithms. The research on this topic is well established, and many theorems have been proved and published, although some published proofs have omitted the detail. In this paper, the author selects some key theorems, providing detailed proofs or alternate proofs, showing the mathematical richness of this field of study. Various applications are discussed, particularly with relevance to the social sciences, although mention is made of applications in computer science, game theory, and economics. The current research that is evident in this subject area, by reference to technical papers in periodicals and on the internet, suggests that it will remain a key topic for some time to come. / MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES / MSC (MATHEMATICS)

This thesis explores the fundamental ethics and purpose of elite higher education. Beginning with an inquiry into the history of American higher education, this work reveals that the U.S. News & World Report “Best College” and “Best University” ranking lists hold an increasingly important role in distinguishing institutions, particularly those within the elite tier. Following an examination of the U.S. News’ methodology, this analysis confronts concerns with individual access to elite institutions. Although there are potential changes to the U.S. News’ methodology that could improve institutional assessment, this thesis does not propose alternative rankings. Rather, it focuses on many institutions’ problematic choice to use the rankings as a guide for admissions and institutional practice. This work evaluates the potentially stratifying components of elite institutions and questions what American higher education inculcates in students. This endeavor concludes by providing suggestions for how to democratize elite institutions in order to realize their respective missions and improve access to educational opportunities. Chapter I: Introduction & Motivation Chapter II: History Chapter III: The U.S. News & World Report Rankings Chapter IV: The Current System of Higher Education Chapter V: For Society’s Benefit

Honors programs (HP) play an important role in defining the organizational culture of colleges and universities. In the college selected for this study, 30% of its honors students attrite to nonhonors programs, usually due to subpar grade point averages (GPAs). Using Sternberg's augmented theory of successful intelligence, a mixed-methods approach was employed to better understand how selection metrics related to HP student success. The ex post facto design included a 5-year (2009-2014) census sample of 375 HP students. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between college GPA and HP admissions metrics such as standardized test scores and measures of high school quality, schedule strength, rank, and GPA. The quantitative results indicated that only ACT test scores and high school GPA were weakly predictive of college GPA. The qualitative component focused on Sternberg's creative and practical intelligences to guide an exploration of HP admissions criteria with 2 admissions officers and 5 HP faculty members who were chosen for participation because of their direct involvement with selecting and teaching HP students. The qualitative results indicated the participants were interested in adding 3 components to the HP admissions criteria: art and music grades from high school, advanced epistemological thinking, and the ability to connect to faculty and resources. A white paper is included at the end of this study to help guide the process of revisiting admissions criteria to improve HP student completion. Positive social change is achieved, and both students and colleges benefit, when colleges more accurately enroll students into the academic programs they are most likely to complete.

It is the aim of this paper to review some of the work done on stable matching, and on stable marriage problems in particular. Variants of the stable marriage problem will be considered, and the similarities and differences from a mathematical point of view will be highlighted. The correlation between preference and stability is a main theme, and the way in which diluted or incomplete preferences affect stability is explored. Since these problems have a wide range of practical applications, it is of interest to develop useful algorithms for the derivation of solutions. Time-complexity is a key factor in designing computable algorithms, making work load a strong consideration for practical purposes. Average and worst-case complexity are discussed. The number of different solutions that are possible for a given problem instance is surprising, and counter-intuitive. This leads naturally to a study of the solution sets and the lattice structure of solutions that emerges for any stable marriage problem. Many theorems derive from the lattice structure of stable solutions and it is shown that this can lead to the design of more efficient algorithms. The research on this topic is well established, and many theorems have been proved and published, although some published proofs have omitted the detail. In this paper, the author selects some key theorems, providing detailed proofs or alternate proofs, showing the mathematical richness of this field of study. Various applications are discussed, particularly with relevance to the social sciences, although mention is made of applications in computer science, game theory, and economics. The current research that is evident in this subject area, by reference to technical papers in periodicals and on the internet, suggests that it will remain a key topic for some time to come. / MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES / MSC (MATHEMATICS)

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The purpose of this study was to determine if students scored significantly higher on the ACT after taking precalculus than they had scored on the ACT prior to taking precalculus. The researcher investigated whether there is an increase, not only in ACT composite scores, but also in ACT math subtest scores after high school students completed a precalculus course. The researcher also investigated differences regarding gender, socio-economic status, and race. Five Tennessee high schools from four counties and five different districts were used in this study. The study involved 208 participants and covered a span of three years. The findings indicated a significant difference in mean ACT composite and mathematics subtest scores for students after completing precalculus. The data were also compared by gender, race, and socioeconomic status for students who completed precalculus. The data indicated a significant difference in ACT composite scores for students completing a precalculus course regardless of gender or socioeconomic status.

No description available.

No description available.