Editing Sciences Po (section)

=== 1996 to 2012: The Descoings era ===

Political science professor Alain Lancelot led the school between 1987 and 1997. He prepared for the school's vice-director, Richard Descoings, to become the director of Sciences Po.<ref name="LM-2021-01-08">{{Cite news |date=8 January 2021 |title=Sciences Po, cœur du pouvoir d'Olivier Duhamel |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2021/01/08/sciences-po-c-ur-du-pouvoir-d-olivier-duhamel-ebranle-par-sa-chute_6065551_3224.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306192856/https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2021/01/08/sciences-po-c-ur-du-pouvoir-d-olivier-duhamel-ebranle-par-sa-chute_6065551_3224.html |archive-date=6 March 2021 |access-date=8 January 2021 |newspaper=Le Monde.fr |via=Le Monde}}</ref> Under the directorship of Descoings, the school incorporated courses in various branches of the social sciences on top of political science, such as law, economics, history, and sociology. In addition, the school began requiring all its undergraduate students to spend a year abroad, and introduced a multilingual curriculum in French, English,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/ |title=7 countries where Americans can study at universities, in English, for free (or almost free) |last=Noack |first=Rick |date=29 October 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=5 October 2017 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116134955/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and other languages. Sciences Po also began to expand outside Paris, establishing regional campuses throughout France.<ref name=":10" />

During this period, Sciences Po also implemented reforms in its admissions process. Previously, Sciences Po recruited its students exclusively on the basis of a competitive examination. This system was seen to favor students from prestigious high schools. In 2001, Sciences Po founded the Equal Opportunity Program, widening its admissions policy.<ref name=NYUsource>"Sciences Po ― an elite institution's introspection on its power, position and worth in French society" ''NYU Department of Journalism'', 9 September 2003.</ref> This program enables the institution to recruit high-potential students at partner high schools in more disadvantaged parts of France who, due to a social, academic, and financial constraints, would not otherwise have been able to attend Sciences Po.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/an-affirmative-action-success/30333 |title=An Affirmative-Action Success |last=Kahlenberg |first=Richard D. |date=13 September 2011 |website=The Chronicle of Higher Education Blogs: Innovations |access-date=5 October 2017 |archive-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710011431/http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/an-affirmative-action-success/30333 |url-status=live}}</ref> As a consequence, from 2001 to 2011, the proportion of scholarship students at Sciences Po went from 6 to 27 percent<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/world/europe/05iht-educLede05.html |title=In France, a Bastion of Privilege No More |date=4 September 2011 |work=The New York Times |access-date=5 October 2017 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=21 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010804/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/world/europe/05iht-educLede05.html |url-status=live}}</ref> with around 30% of all students at Sciences Po currently receiving some form of scholarship.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/campus/article/2015/01/16/sciences-po-paris-moins-de-candidats-mais-un-recrutement-plus-diversifie_4558138_4401467.html |title=Sciences Po Paris : 64% des admis viennent de province |last=Maillard |first=Benoît Floc'h et Matteo |date=16 January 2015 |work=Le Monde |access-date=9 October 2017 |language=fr |issn=1950-6244 |archive-date=6 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006022330/http://www.lemonde.fr/campus/article/2015/01/16/sciences-po-paris-moins-de-candidats-mais-un-recrutement-plus-diversifie_4558138_4401467.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The reforms Descoings spearheaded were at times controversial and his leadership style came under heavy criticism.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/111009/sciences-po-bienvenue-la-cour-du-roi-richard |title=Sciences-Po: bienvenue à la Cour du roi Richard! |first=Jade |last=Lindgaard |website=Mediapart |date=13 October 2009 |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=27 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427101625/https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/111009/sciences-po-bienvenue-la-cour-du-roi-richard |url-status=live}}</ref> A further report by the French [[Court of Audit (France)|Court of Audit]] in 2012 severely criticized the financial management of the bonuses and salaries under Descoings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/formation/2012/10/08/09006-20121008ARTFIG00605-sciences-po-la-cour-des-comptes-accable-descoings.php |title=Sciences Po: la Cour des comptes accable Descoigns |date=8 October 2012 |access-date=5 July 2019 |archive-date=5 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705004121/http://www.lefigaro.fr/formation/2012/10/08/09006-20121008ARTFIG00605-sciences-po-la-cour-des-comptes-accable-descoings.php |url-status=live}}</ref>