Women and minorities in this country are woefully underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). That’s very bad news for a nation undergoing a major demographic shift that by 2050 will make minorities the majority of the population.

In fact, experts believe that the U.S. could find itself at the bottom of the pack in the critical areas of economic strength, innovation, and national security if colleges and universities do not find ways to boost the number of women and minorities in the STEM fields in student bodies and faculties. The task has been made especially difficult by a political environment where affirmative action efforts that hint of racial preferences are highly vulnerable to legal challenges.

At least two prominent national science organizations are taking very seriously the legal difficulties that U.S. higher education institutions face as they develop and pursue STEM diversity strategies.  

To help institutions navigate this thorny issue, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Association of American Universities (AAU) have released what they call a “first-of-its-kind” handbook, titled “Navigating a Complex Landscape to Foster Greater Faculty and Student Diversity in Higher Education,” that  provides examples of “field-tested tools” for diversifying faculty and student bodies.

“The rhetoric that surrounds this issue is often unheeded and duly restrictive. Words such as quotas and reverse discrimination are often invoked. But race-neutral alternatives are not the only path to careers in our merit-based society,” said Dr. Daryl E. Chubin, founding director of the AAAS’s Center for Advancing Science & Engineering Capacity. “We need a partnership of educators, policymakers and lawyers to design and implement effective and legally sustainable diversity programs.”