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UCI Reverses Controversial Decision To Withdraw Admission Offers Over Transcript Issues
UCI (Photo courtesy of UCI)
The University of California, Irvine has reversed its decision to withdraw admission offers to 290 students it claimed failed to meet deadlines for submitting transcripts.
The decision was announced on Wednesday following weeks of growing public outcry over the university's rescission of 499 admission offers in July. Of the nearly 500 rescinded offers, 290 were based on the student's failure to meet a July 2 transcript deadline. The remaining 209 rescinded offers were based on poor academic performance during senior year.
Tom Vasich, Interim Director of Media Relations at UCI, told LAist in July that the rescinded offers came as the university "took a harder line on deadline issues" due to a larger-than-normal incoming class size.
“It’s clear that we don't like the way this was handled," Ria Carlson, associate chancellor of the university said, notes the Los Angeles Times. “We should have been more sensitive in our approach. We probably should have worked more closely with students. We should have reached out to them by telephone.”
In a statement from Chancellor Howard Gillman released Wednesday, the university reinstated its provisional acceptance offers to any student who met academic performance standards. These standards include a 3.0 senior year GPA, and no Ds or Fs on the student's transcript.
"Even for students whose transcripts show that these requirements were not met, we will establish an expedited process to allow students to make the case for extenuating circumstances, and otherwise will work with students to identify other possible pathways into the university," Gillman continued. "...In closing, the students and their families have my personal, sincerest apology. We should not have treated you this way over a missed deadline."
UCI's 2017-2018 academic year begins the week of September 25.
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