The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admissions Web site reads, ‘You’re probably wondering what we consider while reviewing an application.’ It goes on to list traditional criteria: test scores, GPA, after-school activities.

It leaves out political ties to the university.

For nearly five years, UIUC has turned away hundreds of competent candidates in favor of those with political ties to the university, a Chicago Tribune study found.

More than 800 undergraduate applications were tagged as ‘Category 1.’ The prospective students with this tag received preferential treatment because they were connected to elected officials, generous donors and university trustees. Acceptance rates for politically tied students were higher than the entire applicant pool, despite whatever ACT scores or high school GPA the preferred students had achieved.

The eight-week Chicago Tribune investigation that revealed the dirty politics of the college’s admission process in May generated angry protests and outbursts from the Illinois public.

Donald Saleh, Syracuse University’s vice president of undergraduate admissions, said that the UIUC admissions scandal piqued his curiosity about other school’s admissions. He said things can get out of hand as students try desperately to gain acceptance to schools. Because of this, careful monitoring of the admissions process is crucial to preventing the type of unethical activities that happened at UIUC.

B. Joseph White, UIUC president, and Richard Herman, UIUC chancellor, now have to deal with a firestorm of media criticism after the school allowed the preferential treatment.

The Illinois Admissions Review Commission and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn have made calls for all of the university’s board members to resign, according to The Chicago Tribune. In a 45-page report, the commission blasted the UI admissions panel for its lack of leadership.

Francis Carroll and James Montgomery, two of the university trustees, declared their innocence in the scandal and have not resigned. However, UIUC Chairman Niranjan Shah and UI trustees Lawrence Eppley and Edward McMillan have agreed to leave.

The Illinois governor is working together with the commission board to devise a clean-cut solution. The commission has so far recommended that admissions eliminate ‘Category 1,’ publicize appeals, and enable only students and families to inquire about an application status.

The new admissions criteria will be based transparency of process and equality of access. White, UIUC president, promises to carry out the reforms as quickly and as swiftly as possible, imposing an eight-week deadline. The faculty and student senate have voted to elect a fresh face, Chris Kennedy, as chairman of the UI Board of Trustees.

‘It is a matter of assuring integrity,’ SU’s Saleh said. He added integrity is a quality the entire admission board, including the Board of Regions, university trustees, and the president should and must adhere to.

He explained that with the admissions process at SU, Chancellor Nancy Cantor has to have confidence that Saleh is exercising due diligence and the right kind of leadership.

Saleh assures that Susan Donovan, dean of undergraduate admissions, has established a very thorough and careful process, protecting the committee from outside political processes.

‘In all admission cases, the dean and I are in agreement, and we move forward.’

ekim13@syr.edu

Published on September 14, 2009 at 12:00 pm