MS: Well, race-based admissions have been controversial and are not supported by the administration. We think there’s a way to balance diversity and high-quality programs other than using race. We have looked at admitting the top 10 percent of the high school class and, in Texas, there are factors that aren’t race-based but have the effect of promoting highly diverse populations. You can do those things without using race-based admissions.

DI: As the United States becomes more diverse, are HBCUs still relevant?

MS: I think they’re more relevant than ever. I’ve seen what those institutions mean to the African-American community. And I’ve seen the high-quality opportunities they provide to those who may not otherwise have access to higher education.

DI: You refer to students and parents as consumers, and you have brought many business people onto the Commission for the Future of Higher Education. How do you prevent the corporatization of education and conflicts of interest from arising?

MS: I do think that having business people involved is one of the solutions to providing better access and affordability. Look at the University of Phoenix. [Traditional students] probably take classes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. You can’t have a full-time job with that schedule. That’s fine, but does that meet the need of the laid-off worker? The old model of higher education is that you went to high school and straight to college and your parents paid. That’s so yesterday. We’re a nation of lifelong learners and getting Pell Grants and working part-time. We aren’t getting what we need in high school, and the private capital market is part of the solution.