An ongoing controversy is whether colleges and universities should be free to consider race and ethnicity in admissions, and how the use of race relates to "merit." As indicated in a recent Gallup poll, many people think merit should trump race or ethnicity, but what do they really mean by "merit"? Whose interests are at stake? What will happen if colleges and universities can't consider race and ethnicity as they decide whom to admit? I discuss these questions with Julie J. Park, a University of Maryland professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education.

--Julie Park's profile at the University of Maryland

--"Most in U.S. Oppose Colleges Considering Race in Admissions," Gallup

--Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended To Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It, by Richard Sander and Stuart Taylor, Jr.

--The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, William G. Bowen & Derek Bok

--Race on Campus: Debunking Myths With Data, by Julie J. Park.

--Students for Fair Admissions

--New York Times profile on Edward Blum

--"Justice Department Backs Lawsuit Led By Maine Resident Challenging Harvard's 'Racial Balancing'," Portland Press Herald