Implications of the Bakke Decision in Implementing Affirmative Action Programs: A Decision Model*

Abstract The U. S. Supreme Court decision in Regents of the University of California v. Allan Bakke (98. Su. Ct. 2733, 1978) provides guidelines to educational administrators regarding the implementation of affirmative action in student admissions. This paper presents a selection model which is consistent with the Supreme Court's decision in the Bakke case. This Diversity Model integrates traditional “ability” predictors with the illustrative diversity variables of sex and work history. The effect of the Diversity Model in terms of affirmative action impact and predicted grade point average when compared to a pure Performance Model and a Quota Model was evaluated on a sample of 199 MBA students. The Diversity Model did achieve an affirmative action effect with little or no sacrifice in student quality.