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Backs Against the Wall
were minorities (black, Hispanic, Native American); women returning to the job market or entering it for the first time; single mothers and recently widowed older women; the physically handicapped; and older adults, especially those approaching retirement and those with low levels of education.
The Oregon study underscored the need for differentiated educational services for each of the groups. Toward the end, the study said, it is not helpful to use such terms as "special students," "nontraditional students," or "the new student." Even the category of "poor and disadvantaged" is not very helpful when moving beyond general arguments to consider specific remedies. Yet most institutions not only fail to make clear distinctions among these groups and their needs, but also persist in treating them as if they had the ordinary needs of traditional students by using the same recruitment, counseling, and teaching. The attitude seems to be that equal treatment will result in equal access and equal success in college.
The kinds of information, assessment, and planning needs discussed above were central to another project in the Ford Foundation's grant program. In 1979, the San Francisco Consortium undertook a year-long research effort with several interrelated parts:
an assessment of the higher education needs of economically and educationally disadvantaged people in San Francisco
a cooperative self-assessment within the consortium institutions of existing programs and services for such students
an assessment of the business and labor sectors to determine the implications of economic and business trends for educational programs
an examination of the role the San Francisco Unified School District plays in providing educational and special services for the disadvantaged
efforts to improve communication within and among educational institutions in the area, labor and business, and the community
The project was conducted by an independent researcher, sensitive to the needs of poor and disadvantaged people. He directed a small staff at the consortium's central office and was responsible for analyzing