Post by Aggie One on May 11, 2007 8:35:57 GMT -5
www.charlotte.com/109/story/118187.html
UNC system may get
tougher for applicants
Entrants might need higher GPAs
Jane Stancill
(Raleigh) News & Observer
CHAPEL HILL --UNC campuses have set higher targets for graduation rates, and achieving those goals could mean tougher admissions requirements, system leaders said Thursday.
One idea under consideration is raising the minimum grade point average for high school students who want to go to a UNC campus. It's unclear what that threshold would be, but data show that students who enter UNC campuses with a high school grade point average below a C don't fare well, with only one quarter earning a diploma within six years.
UNC leaders are still crunching numbers and weighing options, but raising the bar for prospective students is likely to be a controversial issue with parents and high school counselors.
"This is a big, big decision," UNC President Erskine Bowles said. "We have to do a lot more work on this."
The universities are considering many ways to push students to graduate on time and help them avoid dropping out. Some strategies include special summer programs for struggling students, more financial aid, better advising, and programs that help freshmen adjust to college life. Some students may need remedial courses or tutoring services.
Goals will be tied to standards, Bowles said.
"The last thing we want to do is get into social promotion," he said. "When people graduate, we want to make sure they graduate with a diploma that means something."
One sure way to improve output is to improve input.
Each campus has its own admissions standards. Some adhere strictly to measures of high school grades and SAT scores. Others have a more open policy, accepting students who have struggled academically but show potential.
UNC statistics show that college success is more closely correlated with high school grades than standardized test scores. So instituting an across-the-board minimum grade point average could improve college graduation rates. It would also have consequences, likely pushing more students to attend community colleges for the first two years.
That would be a positive development, UNC Board of Governors member Peter Hans said. Universities don't do students favors by admitting them before they are academically ready, he said.
Others said UNC should proceed cautiously. "We're dumping them on the community college system, and they have a burden," board member Gladys Robinson said.
Changes in admissions standards would have the greatest impact on historically black institutions and on minority students in general, said Harold Martin, senior vice president for academic affairs.
Some aren't convinced that raising the bar is a good thing.
"We're very lucky that our child can achieve in the public school system, but not all children can, and I'd hate to see them denied the chance," said Patrick Day, father of a Chapel Hill High School sophomore. "You give somebody a chance, and you never know what they could accomplish."
Melissa McCoy, 17, a senior at East Chapel Hill High School, considers herself an average student. She is headed to N.C. State University in the fall. She wants her classmates to have a shot at a university education, even if they don't have the best grades.
"There is such a high [college] dropout rate, but those who do graduate do go on and do really good things," she said.
Bowles and other UNC leaders will meet with public school officials and community college leaders to discuss the options. Any changes likely would be phased in over time.
For months, UNC campus leaders have been negotiating with Bowles on goals for higher graduation rates. Across the system, about 35 percent of UNC students finish in four years, and 59 percent graduate in six years. In five years, UNC officials want to raise the systemwide average four-year rate to 41 percent and the six-year rate to almost 65 percent.
Graduation rates will be reported annually to the UNC system board with financial incentives for campuses that do well. Chancellors will be be evaluated according to their campuses' progress toward the goals.
UNC system may get
tougher for applicants
Entrants might need higher GPAs
Jane Stancill
(Raleigh) News & Observer
CHAPEL HILL --UNC campuses have set higher targets for graduation rates, and achieving those goals could mean tougher admissions requirements, system leaders said Thursday.
One idea under consideration is raising the minimum grade point average for high school students who want to go to a UNC campus. It's unclear what that threshold would be, but data show that students who enter UNC campuses with a high school grade point average below a C don't fare well, with only one quarter earning a diploma within six years.
UNC leaders are still crunching numbers and weighing options, but raising the bar for prospective students is likely to be a controversial issue with parents and high school counselors.
"This is a big, big decision," UNC President Erskine Bowles said. "We have to do a lot more work on this."
The universities are considering many ways to push students to graduate on time and help them avoid dropping out. Some strategies include special summer programs for struggling students, more financial aid, better advising, and programs that help freshmen adjust to college life. Some students may need remedial courses or tutoring services.
Goals will be tied to standards, Bowles said.
"The last thing we want to do is get into social promotion," he said. "When people graduate, we want to make sure they graduate with a diploma that means something."
One sure way to improve output is to improve input.
Each campus has its own admissions standards. Some adhere strictly to measures of high school grades and SAT scores. Others have a more open policy, accepting students who have struggled academically but show potential.
UNC statistics show that college success is more closely correlated with high school grades than standardized test scores. So instituting an across-the-board minimum grade point average could improve college graduation rates. It would also have consequences, likely pushing more students to attend community colleges for the first two years.
That would be a positive development, UNC Board of Governors member Peter Hans said. Universities don't do students favors by admitting them before they are academically ready, he said.
Others said UNC should proceed cautiously. "We're dumping them on the community college system, and they have a burden," board member Gladys Robinson said.
Changes in admissions standards would have the greatest impact on historically black institutions and on minority students in general, said Harold Martin, senior vice president for academic affairs.
Some aren't convinced that raising the bar is a good thing.
"We're very lucky that our child can achieve in the public school system, but not all children can, and I'd hate to see them denied the chance," said Patrick Day, father of a Chapel Hill High School sophomore. "You give somebody a chance, and you never know what they could accomplish."
Melissa McCoy, 17, a senior at East Chapel Hill High School, considers herself an average student. She is headed to N.C. State University in the fall. She wants her classmates to have a shot at a university education, even if they don't have the best grades.
"There is such a high [college] dropout rate, but those who do graduate do go on and do really good things," she said.
Bowles and other UNC leaders will meet with public school officials and community college leaders to discuss the options. Any changes likely would be phased in over time.
For months, UNC campus leaders have been negotiating with Bowles on goals for higher graduation rates. Across the system, about 35 percent of UNC students finish in four years, and 59 percent graduate in six years. In five years, UNC officials want to raise the systemwide average four-year rate to 41 percent and the six-year rate to almost 65 percent.
Graduation rates will be reported annually to the UNC system board with financial incentives for campuses that do well. Chancellors will be be evaluated according to their campuses' progress toward the goals.
