June 2004

 

BOARS Poised to Change U.C. Eligibility Criteria

 

If you have read a California newspaper in the last year, you know that UC eligibility and admissions have been topics of much discussion and some criticism.     

 

One of President Dynes' first official acts was to appoint a Study Group on Eligibility and Admissions that included faculty, students, administrators, and Regents. The study group met six times between November 2003 and March 2004 and produced a report, which contains a great deal of historic and current information and provides a thorough overview of policies and outcomes. The study group reaffirmed current policy on undergraduate admissions -- including comprehensive review -- and commended the work of the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), the Academic Senate committee that oversees eligibility and admissions.

 

On May 19, the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), the State planning and coordinating body for higher education under the provisions of the State Master Plan for Higher Education, released the results of its eligibility study (the first since 1996) indicating that California students are meeting UC eligibility criteria at greater than the 12.5% rate called for in the Master Plan. We should be pleased that the eligibility rate has grown from 11.1% in 1996 to the current 14.4%. More students than ever are taking the “a-g” curriculum in high school and the pattern of tests required to achieve statewide eligibility to UC and CSU. (The CSU eligibility rate was determined to be 28.8% in this study.) Recent UC efforts in academic preparation in K-12, and Eligibility in the Local Context have certainly contributed to more students meeting the eligibility requirements.

 

But now we must find a way to return eligibility to 12.5%. BOARS has been working hard this year to look at the many ways we might adjust the eligibility criteria to achieve the target percentage. We began our deliberations by articulating a set of principles to guide our review of criteria. BOARS’ recommendations for new eligibility criteria will be presented to the Academic Council on June 23, to the Academic Assembly on June 30, and to the Board of Regents at their July 14-15 meeting.

 

BOARS recognizes that our eligibility criteria do more than identify a pool of qualified California high school graduates from whom we can select our freshmen. Our criteria also serve as a beacon to all students and parents in the State indicating that UC is attainable for anyone who meets the criteria by taking a rigorous high school curriculum and performing well. We are also sending a signal to California schools about the curriculum they should be offering and encouraging their students to take in order to prepare for college. All students, regardless of high school, local environment, family income, or any other personal factor, should have the opportunity to work toward entry into the best university system in the nation.

 

So, we’ll soon be recommending that some eligibility rules be tightened and that certain academic criteria be strengthened to return to 12.5%, but we do not want to lose sight of our institutional commitment to the public of California and our hope that all students will have a rigorous education and the opportunity to attend a California university. Not everyone will agree with BOARS’ proposal for how to achieve a reduction in eligibility, but you can be assured that we have worked hard to maintain high academic quality while balancing our public responsibility of access. [Click here for a summary of the current terms and conditions for UC eligibility, admissions, selection and enrollment.]

 

-Barbara Sawrey, BOARS Chair