Regents continue to study proposed GPA hike

Jennifer Knight

Friday, Dec. 7, 2001 | 10:05 a.m.

A controversial proposal to raise admission standards at the state's universities remains just that, as the Board of Regents failed Thursday to adopt either a revised plan or an amended version put forth by leaders of the minority community.

The board, which ran out of time for a vote on the plan Thursday, is expected to address the issue today.

The revised plan is more expansive than the board's original proposal, which came about two months ago and called for students entering the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno to enter with a 3.0 grade point average, as compared to the current 2.5.

The plan would be phased in over four years.

In the revised plan, the entrance requirement would increase from 2.5 to a weighted GPA of 2.75 by 2006, and to 3.0 by 2010.

UNLV President Carol Harter said the weighted average was added to ensure students don't take easier high school courses in an attempt to meet admissions requirements.

Under a weighted system, an "A" in an honors class carries more weight than a similar letter grade in a less strenuous course.

Regents Tom Kirpatrick, Linda Howard and Steve Sisolak asked that the issue be postponed until they are better prepared to discuss the options.

"I feel this proposal is rushed," said Kirkpatrick. "A 3.0 isn't the magic bullet. I don't care how many people got into smoke-filled rooms and hatched these plans, the people are not dumb, and I'm not going to accept that."

Other regents, however, were prepared to vote.

"It strikes me that we may be on the verge of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory here," said regent Jill Derby. "I think that the process we've followed is really in some ways exemplary. The policy the presidents have brought to us clearly represents (the public's) concerns. I think this is a good proposal."

UNLV Vice President Juanita Fain said that she believes university officials had done everything they could to prepare regents for a vote on the new admissions' standards.

"This has been a very difficult debate but a very important one, sometimes even painful," Fain said. "There's so much passion and care about the children of Nevada, sometimes we disagree on how to get there."

School officials say they plan to monitor how the new standards, if adopted, would affect minorities each year after 2006.

Alternative routes for students who fall below the minimum GPA requirement are also built into the plan. Up to 10 percent of applicants with hardships and special talents, for example, would qualify for admission.

University representatives also proposed a dual admission provision to students who don't qualify to enter as freshmen. Students would be granted guaranteed admission to the university if they complete two years at the community college and carry a 2.5 GPA.

Community college students are currently required to carry a 2.0 GPA if they plan to transfer to a state university. That requirement would increase to 2.3 by 2006 and 3.0 by 2010.

Howard supported the revised plan, albeit with several exceptions. These include:

* Establishing talks between university officials and local school districts to align curriculums from kindergarten through college;

* Setting aside 5 percent of the total budget to step up minority recruiting and retention efforts;

* Establishing a need-based scholarship for low-income students;

* Requiring a survival skills course for entering freshmen. The course would include study and library skills;

* Increasing the percentage of students granted admission under special circumstances from 6 percent to 12 percent, and barring athletes from applying under this process.

* Establishing a citizens' evaluation committee to review enrollment and recruitment data.