Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
UC Schools Admit Dozens Of Students Based On Donor And Family Ties, Audit Finds
Royce Hall is pictured at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a recent file photo. (Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist/KPCC)
()
UCLA and three other UC schools unfairly admitted at least 64 students in recent years as favors to donors, and family and friends of university staff, according to a new state audit. Most of the students were white and wealthy, the audit found.
Of these students, 22 were admitted as athletes, despite their lack of qualifications to compete.
"By admitting 64 noncompetitive applicants, the university undermined the fairness and integrity of its admissions process and deprived more qualified students of the opportunity for admission," State Auditor Elaine Howle wrote in a letter attached to the audit.
READ THE FULL AUDIT:
Support for LAist comes from
�
The auditor also found that UCLA and UC Berkeley admitted thousands of applicants who appeared less qualified than others who didn't get in. The auditor's report says these schools lack specific admissions criteria, and that whether or not a student gets accepted is often left up to the person reviewing the application and their personal biases.
"We found that staff were sometimes overly strict or overly lenient in their review of applications, thereby making the applicants’ chances of admission unduly dependent on the individual staff who rated them rather than on the students’ qualifications," Howle wrote.
The audit targeted UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara.
AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS
To remedy the problem, the report says campuses should:
- Double-check admissions of athletes to make sure their athletic talents warrant admission and that no improper donations may have influenced their admission.
- Make sure no one person has the authority to make a final decision on admissions.
- Prohibit communication about applicants between a campus's fundraising wing and admissions officers.
- Establish and implement a methodology for selecting applicants, including a rationale for admitting applicants with less competitive ratings than others.
- Block campuses from seeing information about candidates that could bias their evaluations.
- Begin conducting regular audits of admissions processes at all UC undergraduate campuses, to be carried out by the UC Office of the President.
In response to the audit, UC President Michael V. Drake said in a statement:
Support for LAist comes from
"I take the findings and recommendations very seriously and will do all I can to prevent inappropriate admissions at UC. I have zero tolerance in matters of compromised integrity.
"The University will swiftly address the concerns the State Auditor raised. Furthermore, individuals involved in improper activities will be disciplined appropriately."
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist