A Florida Gulf Coast University professor is the author of a new study that suggests white admissions counselors at private colleges may be discriminating against certain black students.
Sociology professor Ted Thornhill raised eyebrows last year when FGCU announced he would be teaching a class called "White Racism," studying issues of racial inequality. His recently-released study is called "We Want Black Students, Just Not You: How White Admissions Counselors Screen Black Prospective Students."
Thornhill sent over a thousand emails from fictitious black students to 517 white admissions officers at predominantly white private colleges. About a quarter of those emails showed that the made-up students had a passion for certain kind of activism.
"They suggested an interest in anti-racist activism," Thornhill said Tuesday.
According to his study, only about forty percent of counselors responded to emails from the purported racial activist students, compared to a 65% response rate for other interests. Thornhill believes that difference speaks volumes.
"It's evidence that these admissions counselors, serving as gatekeepers for these institutions, are depreciating the collegiate aspirations of students who are committed to fighting against racism," Thornhill said.
Thornhill hopes that college administrators across the country read his study and raise awareness with their counselors.
"And indicate to them that it's discriminatory," he said. "This could have the effect of encouraging them to respond to all of the inquiring emails that they get."
Thornhill will present the findings of his study at Duke University later this month.
