AD.10.01
August 31, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE
Committee on Admissions
(Final;Action)
AD.10.01 General recommendations of the Senate Committee on Admissions
Background
On August 11, 2009, the 2009-2010 Senate Committee on Admissions met to consider its response to the findings and recommendations of the Admissions Review Commission (ARC), which were released on August 6. In particular, we were concerned with the question of the implications of the ARC's report for the role of faculty members in the admissions process. The following recommendations are based on our August 11 discussion.
The Committee agreed that its recommendations would be based on two general principles:
A. Campus autonomy: While it is the prerogative, indeed the responsibility, of the University to set out clear principles that should be followed in establishing and implementing admissions procedures, final responsibility for determining and following specific procedures lies at the campus level.
B. Shared governance: As in other matters of academic policy and oversight, the faculty should be integrally involved in establishing and ensuring proper implementation of sound admissions policies. This principle is reflected in the stated Duties of the Committee on Admissions, according to the Senate Bylaws: "The Committee shall: 1) Consider matters of policy concerning campus standards and procedures for admission of students from secondary schools and higher institutions, and make reports and recommendations to the Senate; 2) Advise the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management and review administrative actions on student petitions."
As a foundational matter, the Committee acknowledges the general effectiveness of the admissions process as conducted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and recognizes that the abuses that occurred were related to the circumvention of that process. The committee agrees that the admission and appeals process should build upon this strong foundation, and work to improve the transparency of the process for all applicants and to protect the process against external influence. In addition, the committee endorses the recommendation for developing a firewall around the admissions process and the development of a clear policy that identifies and prohibits improper external influence.
Recommendations
1. All actions taken should have as the ultimate goal to insulate the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and to clearly prohibit the involvement in admissions matters of elected officials, trustees, and University and campus administrative officers whose position is not directly related to admissions. In this regard, the Committee applauds the intention of the University to "[draft] a Code of Conduct for Admissions that explicitly states that improper influence will not be tolerated, and all University admissions will be based solely on criteria laid out in written admissions policies" ("University of Ilinois Statement on Admissions Commission Report," Aug. 6, 2009). Therefore, our first recommendation is that the Senate, through this committee, working with the Office of Admissions and other admissions offices on campus, gather information and provide faculty input into the drafting of a clear admissions policy that would clearly delineate the categories of individuals who may legitimately inquire about the status of an application for admissions, and also include a code of conduct providing penalties for the circumvention of the specified policy. We note that, while the ARC does not address the question of pressure from legislators, this political reality should be addressed in the resulting admissions policy. We also suggest that the Board of Trustees adopt a written policy prohibiting their involvement with admissions, similar to one governing the Board of Regents of the University of California system.
2. In order to ensure transparency and equity of access, we encourage the campus to produce a widely-publicized and easily accessible statement regarding admissions policies and procedures for applicants to undergraduate programs, including, but not limited to, the broad set of factors that are considered in selecting applicants for admissions and policies and procedures related to the appeals process, keeping in mind that any such statement should comply with current Supreme Court rulings on higher education admissions policies. Again, we endorse the University's pledge to "[ensure] that all admissions policies and processes are clearly and completely detailed in all materials available to applicants, including online" ("University of Ilinois Statement on Admissions Commission Report," Aug. 6, 2009).
3. Though every admissions decision at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign should ensure fundamental fairness, equality of access and transparency, any admissions policy or procedure document that is produced should take into account the fundamental differences in the application processes among undergraduate colleges, graduate programs, and the various professional programs, as well as the diversity of appropriate procedures across programs and colleges. We recognize that, in general, undergraduate admissions decisions are best handled by the well-trained admissions officials, while decisions regarding admission to graduate programs generally should be made with the close involvement of faculty committees. We also recognize that the professional schools differ in the size of their applicant pools, their admissions goals and the challenges of their professions. Therefore, any generally applicable admissions policy should acknowledge these differences and welcome input into the best way to ensure fundamental fairness, equality of access and transparency in the process.
4. In addition, any new policy should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of admissions officers, faculty committees, and administrators in the admissions process. The committee agrees that administrators above the level of the Dean should not be involved in admissions.
5. Finally, the committee proposes the creation of a neutral body to respond to complaints of abuse of the new admissions policy. In particular, the use of the Senate Admissions Committee and/or other college/departmental faculty committees as a resource and liaison for reviewing concerns about the soundness of admissions/appeals procedures should be explored. However, the committee recognizes the importance of clear admissions policies that specify what constitutes abuse or improper influence in order for academic professionals to feel confident in reporting those abuses.
Senate Committee on Admissions
Christine Hurt, Chair