Regents will discuss more stringent admissions policy

The Arizona Board of Regents will hold their first discussion on possible changes to admissions standards when they meet today in the Student Union Memorial Center.

Arizona's three university presidents will present various scenarios on potential admissions policy changes and how such changes would impact students.

Any discussion on admissions will be tied to guaranteeing accessibility for "qualified" Arizona residents, said Jack Jewett, president of the board.

"Whatever we do, we will hold the regents and presidents accountable for maintaining accessibility," he said.

Currently, Arizona residents have to fulfill one of four requirements to be admitted to a state university. They either have to be in the top 25 percent of their class, score a composite 22 on their ACT, score a 1040 on their SAT, or have a 3.0 GPA in sixteen core courses.

President Pete Likins has said he hopes to raise admissions standards as part of his Focused Excellence plan.

It is important to raise admissions standards because right now students are being admitted even though they aren't prepared to succeed, said Doug Hartz, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

"If we admit them to fail, then we're doing them a disservice," he said.

Yet a raise in admission standards would not be as dramatic as it sounds, said Melanie Rainer, Arizona Students' Association representative and member of the strategic planning and budget advisory committee.

Students who aren't automatically admitted under higher standards would be asked to submit an essay or hold an interview for another chance at admission, she said.

"(The changes) are about giving UA a chance to see more of individuals rather than just numbers," Rainer said.

Today's review of current admissions standards is the second major discussion as part of the regents' Changing Directions initiative. The first discussion, which took place in November, focused on raising tuition and financial aid.

The regents will address financial aid again today as they try to understand how financial aid could help the most needy if there were a significant increase in tuition.

At a meeting in October the regents said they supported a significant tuition increase if there were sufficient financial aid available.

The board is looking at a substantial tuition hike of $500 to $1000 for resident undergraduates, Jewett said.

The regents will review a change in board financial aid policy, which would require universities to set aside 14 percent of tuition revenue for financial aid.

Universities only have to set aside 8 percent right now.

"A 14 percent set aside is an aggressive increase in financial aid," Jewett said. "I sense there's support among members."

However, simply setting aside 14 percent of tuition is not enough if the board will significantly increase tuition, Hartz said.

"I would prefer the board to discuss how need will be addressed over time rather than in a percent set aside," he said.

In addition, the regents will also review a proposal that will make it easier for universities to offer tuition payment plans to students.