Want a Job? Find Out Which College Majors Pay Off

Graduates who major in career-oriented fields earn more than graduates who major in academic-oriented majors, according to the latest National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) study, reports Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Also, full-time workers ages 25--34 with bachelor's degrees earned 60 percent more, on average, than their counterparts with just high-school diplomas in 2004. NCES found that career-oriented majors such as business, computer science, education or engineering produced higher salaries and more job stability than academic majors such as social and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities. During a 10-year period after graduation, bachelor's recipients with academic majors found themselves unemployed at higher rates (or with greater frequency) than career-oriented majors. Get more resources and advice on finding a job on DiversityInc.com.

FBI to Investigate Civil-Rights-Era Cases

FBI Director Robert Mueller plans to reopen decades-old civil-rights cases. "The rule of law, civil liberties and civil rights--these are not our burdens; they are what make us better," Mueller said in written remarks obtained by The Associated Press (AP). The FBI will investigate 26 unsolved civil-rights-era cases out of nearly 100 that were referred to the bureau over the last year. Last summer, the FBI successfully prosecuted a reputed Ku Klux Klansman for his role in the 1964 abduction and killing of two black teenagers. Mueller said 95 of the 100 unsolved cases were sent to investigators in 17 field offices around the country and 52 cases were opened. Of those 52 cases, 26 were being reviewed by the Justice Department "to determine if additional investigation is necessary," Mueller told AP. Read about the latest discrimination lawsuits filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Ward Connerly's Deceptive Campaign to End Affirmative Action

Ward Connerly is leading simultaneous efforts in five states to qualify ballot measures for the November election that will effectively end affirmative action in Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, Nebraska and Oklahoma. As with his past successful effort in California and Michigan, Connerly's tactics are deceptive, reports Ms. Magazine on Alternet. The ballot measures claim to prohibit "discrimination" and "preferential treatment" and focus the debate on whether "unqualified" Blacks and Latinos are admitted to public colleges and universities over "more qualified" white students. The ballots are basically race-baiting and not using the words "affirmative action" because most voters support the concept of affirmative action, reports Alternet. Read how Connerly is playing on fear. Also, get the latest affirmative-action updates on DiversityInc.com.

Is Gene Mapping Elitist?

Genome sequencing once cost millions of dollars, but now it's down to hundreds of thousands, which is motivating some of the rich to buy their sequencing. What does your DNA say about you? Some biologists worry that "genomic elitism" could sour public perception on genetic research and ultimately hurt funding of research that promises better overall healthcare, reports The New York Times. Businesses that provide one's genetic code are cropping up. Offers from the rich inspired the creation of Knome and Illumina, which will sell genome sequencing to those who can afford the hundred-thousand-dollar price tag. Stay tuned for the upcoming April 2008 issue of DiversityInc magazine to learn about genetic testing and discrimination and to find out if you're at risk.

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