About the Access & Diversity Collaborative

The Access & Diversity Collaborative is a major College Board Advocacy & Policy Center initiative that was established in the immediate wake of the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the University of Michigan cases. The Collaborative provides guidance to colleges, universities, and state systems of higher education in developing and implementing their access- and diversity-related policies.

Since 2004, the Collaborative has sponsored more than 30 national seminars attended by more than 1,500 representatives from nearly 400 institutions and organizations. The Collaborative also provides policy and legal guidance on diversity-related issues through numerous guides and policy briefs that address key strategic planning and policy development issues.

Distinctive features of the Collaborative include:

• Using a multidisciplinary approach: By melding educational and legal perspectives, the project represents a genuine collaborative effort involving educators with expertise in enrollment management and other areas (including social science research), as well as legal experts.
• Creating policy perspectives: These are infused with information on best practices and legal analysis, providing comprehensive, issue-specific written guidance.
• Encouraging targeted and productive conversations: With a special focus on educators and others involved in developing and implementing policy, and complementary written tools, both designed to help inform and guide institutional decisions.