Beth WilsonHomeThe pitfalls and the pendulum – recruiting for affirmative action programs and the lawPeople often ask me to predict how current events are shaping the future of affirmative action. The wonder aloud about the legality of initiatives to recruit, action, and promote Black faculty and administrators. My response may vary somewhat, depending on the purpose of the question and the questioner. But, invariably, I make one point emphatically: The pendulum tends to swing back and forth in response to the political climate of the country, but the backward arcs have never been dramatic — especially in comparison with the wider swings forward.July 11, 2007Page 1 of 1