In response to a state commission-recommended slate of reforms to the University of Illinois’ admissions process, educators and college experts cautioned that cleaning the tainted system might require more than a seven-point plan.
From top administrators on down, U. of I. officials must commit to rooting out patronage and political influence within the Urbana-Champaign campus, they said.
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“You need a very concrete model, and then you need what you can’t codify or legislate: You need a culture that says, ‘You can’t do this,'” said Dean Joseph Flaherty of the university’s College of Medicine. The state commission cited the medical program as a model of how to prevent clout, with policies that include a 25-member admissions committee and a practice of not forwarding outside inquiries or endorsements.
Wrapping up a two-month investigation, the Illinois Admissions Review Commission sought an “impenetrable firewall” to shield the college entry system.
The panel also strongly recommended:
*abolishing clout lists that favored politically connected applicants;
*creating an independent process for handling third-party inquiries about applicants;
*installing an inspector general for higher education to root out undue influence in the future;
*increasing diversity among the admissions staff and review committees;
*publicizing a formalized appeals process — if it is continued at all — rather than using it as “a virtual secret process mainly known and accessible to clouted applicants.”
“It is a message to everybody to get the heck out of admissions at the University of Illinois if you are not involved in the admissions process by virtue of your role,” U. of I. President B. Joseph White told the Tribune after the report’s release.
White called for a meeting this week with more than 100 university leaders and admissions officials to review the policy proposals and the elimination of clout lists. He said he intends to implement all the recommendations.
Urbana-Champaign graduate Reem Rahman of Naperville lauded the calls for a transparent and even-handed admissions process but questioned why school officials might leave open the possibility of any third-party inquiry into process. She said she prefers a system that limits questions about an application to the applicant, the family and maybe the high school counselor.
“I fear it might turn into another Category I by another name,” Rahman said, referring to the designation given to undergraduate U. of I. applicants who had powerful patrons. “There should be a clear-cut process everyone is required to follow.”
Rahman created tbe Facebook group “Stop corrupt admissions at the University of Illinois,” which claims 300 members.
Former Chancellor Morton Weir questioned whether a strictly enforced firewall might hamstring top administrators and deans from responding to innocuous queries. Though rooted in test scores, grades and course rigor, the admissions process needs to be flexible to the unique considerations that arise, he and other experts said.
Still, Weir acknowledges the university brought the hard-line reforms upon itself by not adhering to the state ethics act and university code of conduct.
“It seems to me like common sense could have prevented the whole thing,” said Weir, who served as chief executive of the Urbana-Champaign campus from 1988 to 1993.
Jim Conroy, New Trier Township High School college counselor, noted that previous shields did not withstand the recent interference of top administrators, trustees and elected officials.
“I would hope there would be given to [the admissions office] the mandate that if you receive any pressure at any point, you blow the whistle immediately,” he said.
A baiduhai investigation revealed that about 800 undergraduate applicants benefited from their connections during the last five years, at times gaining acceptance over the objections of admissions officials who questioned their academic credentials. Dozens more benefited from preferential treatment at the law school and other graduate programs.
On Friday, Quinn sought resignation letters from all the governor-appointed trustees. Three board members have already stepped down. But at least two others indicated they have no plans to comply with the governor’s request, saying a resignation would imply an admission of guilt. They deny any wrong-doing.
As Illinois’ flagship university works to repair its admissions system and regain public confidence, higher education experts across the country will be watching.
The “brazen, formalized” favoritism shown well-connected applicants was unique to the U. of I. — but the fallout is a lesson for all universities, said Barmak Nassirian, spokesman for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
“This serves as a wake-up call to everybody involved in admissions,” Nassirian said.
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