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May 18, 1998

Regents hear proposal for additional path to UC eligibility

By Terry Lightfoot
UC Office of the President

A committee of University of California faculty presented to the UC Board of Regents on Thursday, May 14, a proposal that would create an additional path of eligibility to the university.

The Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), a committee of the Academic Senate responsible for establishing eligibility criteria for undergraduate admissions, presented the proposal as a possible mechanism to expand the accessibility of the university to a greater number of students from diverse ethnic, socio-economic and geographic backgrounds.

"This proposal represents the most radical and fundamental change in the Master Plan for Higher Education in more than 30 years," said Keith Widaman, a UC Riverside professor and BOARS chairman.

Widaman said the underlying premise of the proposal is to expand eligibility in a way that would ensure equal opportunity to high-achieving students regardless of high school attended, while continuing to provide access for all top-achieving students. It's estimated that between 3,500 and 4,000 additional state high school graduates would be eligible for UC under the proposed plan. Currently, more than 32,000 students are eligible for UC each year.

A review of the proposal, tentatively called the UC Merit Scholars program, is in the preliminary stages. It has been sent to high school principals and district superintendents for review and comments. It is also being reviewed by various UC campus groups, including committees and governing bodies of the Academic Senate.

Following the review, BOARS will present the proposal to the Regents for approval in July. If adopted, changes would affect students applying for admission in fall 2000.

Under the UC Merit Scholars program, approximately 4 percent of the top students at each California high school would be identified as UC eligible after meeting criteria established by BOARS. Students who do not meet the criteria for participation in the proposed program still can become eligible by meeting existing eligibility standards that would remain in effect if the BOARS proposal is adopted.

Students eligible for UC through the scholars program, like other UC eligible students, would be required to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), which will be used by campuses in making admission decisions.

The criteria for participation in the scholars program has not been finalized. BOARS is studying possible criteria which might include:

Widaman told the Regents that BOARS is also considering extending the use of an index, a composite of a student's GPA and standardized test scores, to all students. Currently, only students with a GPA of 3.3 or lower receive a composite eligibility score. Additionally, BOARS is considering changes in how honors courses are factored into admissions.


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