Post by title1parent on Aug 2, 2009 6:11:56 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=310973&src=
Entire U of I board should resign
Published: 8/1/2009 DH Opinion
Students return to the University of Illinois in a few short weeks, eager and anxious to take advantage of the state's higher education crown jewel. But the summer has not been kind to U of I's reputation.
Weeks of testimony about clout trumping test scores and academic ability in the admissions process highlighted an apparently long-kept but improper system that allowed many students to gain entrance to the university when they otherwise would have been denied.
The so-called clout list kept by university officials existed for decades, according to testimony before a commission appointed by Gov. Patrick Quinn to investigate the admissions process. It included names of well-connected applicants who in many cases were admitted under pressure without meeting university standards.
Legislators, donors and university trustees all have been named as people who inquired about these applicants, sending overt or covert signals to the university administration that it would be best to admit these students.
We join retired federal judge and former congressman Abner J. Mikva and the commission he chairs in calling for the resignation of the entire board of trustees at the University of Illinois. They have failed in their role as stewards of the school and need to remove themselves so the university can regain its fine reputation and begin anew to overcome the scandal of the last two months.
One trustee already has resigned. Lawrence Eppley was right when he said, "As the ultimate body of governance and leadership of this University, the trustees must help maintain the confidence of our shareholders, who in this case are the people of Illinois. Just as in the corporate world, shareholders' lack of confidence in an organization justifies affecting changes."
How the chairman of the board of trustees hasn't resigned is a mystery given his embarrassing testimony. Somehow, Niranjan Shah didn't feel his inquiries would carry weight with the administration despite his post. We don't believe him.
Asked about one e-mail that said he would "sincerely appreciate anything you (Chancellor Richard Herman) can do to assist in a favorable outcome for these individuals," Shah threw his secretary under the bus by saying she wrote many of his e-mails.
Many people close to the university are upset that its reputation is being sullied by the ongoing controversy. Some even think it's overblown. We disagree. We think it's beyond dispute that the board of trustees exerted undue influence and must go. That's Mikva's commission's conclusion as well as two former U of I presidents.
Many suburban students attend or want to attend the U of I. We want it to remain at the top of their lists when choosing a college. We want their diploma to remain a mark of excellence when they go out to seek employment.
We expect the Illinois Admissions Review Commission to make strong recommendations this week on how to fix the admissions system. And we expect a new board to implement them.
Entire U of I board should resign
Published: 8/1/2009 DH Opinion
Students return to the University of Illinois in a few short weeks, eager and anxious to take advantage of the state's higher education crown jewel. But the summer has not been kind to U of I's reputation.
Weeks of testimony about clout trumping test scores and academic ability in the admissions process highlighted an apparently long-kept but improper system that allowed many students to gain entrance to the university when they otherwise would have been denied.
The so-called clout list kept by university officials existed for decades, according to testimony before a commission appointed by Gov. Patrick Quinn to investigate the admissions process. It included names of well-connected applicants who in many cases were admitted under pressure without meeting university standards.
Legislators, donors and university trustees all have been named as people who inquired about these applicants, sending overt or covert signals to the university administration that it would be best to admit these students.
We join retired federal judge and former congressman Abner J. Mikva and the commission he chairs in calling for the resignation of the entire board of trustees at the University of Illinois. They have failed in their role as stewards of the school and need to remove themselves so the university can regain its fine reputation and begin anew to overcome the scandal of the last two months.
One trustee already has resigned. Lawrence Eppley was right when he said, "As the ultimate body of governance and leadership of this University, the trustees must help maintain the confidence of our shareholders, who in this case are the people of Illinois. Just as in the corporate world, shareholders' lack of confidence in an organization justifies affecting changes."
How the chairman of the board of trustees hasn't resigned is a mystery given his embarrassing testimony. Somehow, Niranjan Shah didn't feel his inquiries would carry weight with the administration despite his post. We don't believe him.
Asked about one e-mail that said he would "sincerely appreciate anything you (Chancellor Richard Herman) can do to assist in a favorable outcome for these individuals," Shah threw his secretary under the bus by saying she wrote many of his e-mails.
Many people close to the university are upset that its reputation is being sullied by the ongoing controversy. Some even think it's overblown. We disagree. We think it's beyond dispute that the board of trustees exerted undue influence and must go. That's Mikva's commission's conclusion as well as two former U of I presidents.
Many suburban students attend or want to attend the U of I. We want it to remain at the top of their lists when choosing a college. We want their diploma to remain a mark of excellence when they go out to seek employment.
We expect the Illinois Admissions Review Commission to make strong recommendations this week on how to fix the admissions system. And we expect a new board to implement them.