 |
School of
Dentistry |
July 5,
2001
Professor Michael
Cowan
Chair, Academic
Senate
Dear Professor Cowan,
The Board of Admissions and
Relations with Schools (BOARS) has spent considerable time in the last two
months deliberating the issue of UC’s tiered admissions policy. At its recent two-day retreat, BOARS
unanimously approved a policy statement that would materially shift one
philosophical foundation of the admissions selection processes in what we
strongly believe to be a forward direction. Senate members from all campuses were at
the meeting and their representatives unanimously approved the following
statement:
BOARS endorses a comprehensive review of applications using a broad variety of factors to select an entering class.
This statement and the
enclosed supporting documentation provide a proposal that would effectively
eliminate the tiered admissions systems now used and permit the campuses to move
toward a comprehensive approach to selection for all applicants. The campuses would use a broad
definition of merit for each applicant from which to create their freshman
classes, applying the fourteen criteria presently listed in the Guidelines for
Implementation of University Policy and Undergraduate
Admissions.
This proposal would continue
to require that admissions committees select among the high achieving students
throughout UC’s eligibility pool, all of whom have demonstrated superior
academic accomplishment in high school.
However, campus selection committees would no longer be limited to set
percentages of admitted students based on specific criteria. A comprehensive
selection system would permit evaluation of the full potential of every
applicant, and not rely on a few narrowly defined, and not universally agreed
upon, criteria for many admitted students.
BOARS recognizes that what are considered “academic” and “non-academic”
criteria are not clearly distinct, but pose a spectrum of achievement factors
for each applicant. The
comprehensive review proposed would permit the campuses to use the wide variety
of characteristics reported in the applications to meet the goals of each campus
community in its selection process.
BOARS’ proposal would
require that all campuses bring to bear the full range of selection criteria in
their processes, and that no campus would narrowly define merit. We recognize the significance of this
change and that implementation would be an evolutionary process, starting in
fall 2002 (if approved) and continuing over a period of years permitting
assessment and adjustment of campus specific practices. BOARS would be responsible for
monitoring and accountability, recognizing that each campus would have a unique
interpretation of a comprehensive review process.
BOARS fully intends to
consult with the campuses on this proposal. Our first task would be to respond to
academic council, campus faculty, and admissions staff on issues regarding this
new direction. We would also review
campuses’ plans for needed changes in existing policy in order to institute a
comprehensive system. BOARS intends
to continue working with the faculty and admissions directors to review the
planning and implementation of the revised systems over time. We recognize that
some campuses are poised to move in the direction of comprehensive admissions
immediately, and that it will be a more gradual process at others. An incremental and evaluative approach
to this significant policy change is essential to its ultimate
success.
I request that the BOARS
proposal be included on the agenda for the July Academic Council meeting, and be
distributed broadly to the UC campuses for comment. BOARS would like the opportunity to
respond to faculty and campus concerns before submitting the proposal for formal
senate approval.
Sincerely,
Dorothy A. Perry, RDH, PhD
Associate Professor and Chair
Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools
cc: BOARS members