UC Regents weigh options

Friday, February 19, 1999

UC Regents weigh options

MEETING: Gov. Gray Davis touts merits of 4 percent plan; others
fear effects

By Dennis Lim

Daily Bruin Contributor

SAN FRANCISCO — Thursday, the UC Board of Regents and Gov. Gray
Davis revealed their plan to bring a larger, more diverse body of
students to the University of California.

The 4 percent plan would make students in the top 4 percent of
their high school, based on GPA, eligible for UC admission.

"This is a very simple but very powerful idea," said Davis,
attending his first meeting as governor of California.

"Some think of this as a back-door attempt to undo 209, but I
see it as a front-door attempt to reward excellence," he
continued.

But Regent Ward Connerly warned against the potential effects of
the plan on the composition of the future UC population.

"If we are doing anything to change the racial or ethnic
composition of students we are violating (Proposition) 209 and we
must cleanse the plan of that now," Connerly said.

But according to Davis and other regents the 4 percent plan does
not target minority students and they say it will increase the
absolute number of minority students applying to UC schools. UC
officials expect the plan to impact 1.33 percent of all graduating
high school seniors.

Davis conceded the overall impact on minority admissions will be
small.

But protesters outside the meeting claim the plan changes
nothing in reality.

"This whole plan is a farce," said Heather Bergman, a member of
the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary.
"The students they will admit under this plan are the same students
they admit now."

"There will still be fewer blacks and latinos at UC schools.
They will continue to give privilege to the privileged," Bergman
said.

Controversy arose inside the meeting when Regent William Bagley
began discussing other aspects of the plan.

Other proposed changes to UC admissions included decreasing the
weight of advanced placement (AP), honors and international
baccalaureate (IB) courses in computing GPA, increasing the weight
of SAT II tests and creating a minimum SAT I score for UC
eligibility.

By lowering the weight of AP, honors and IB classes, UC
officials plan to give students attending schools not offering
those classes a better chance of attending a UC school (or gaining
admission).

"I’m worried about reducing the credit given to students for
taking AP courses," Bagley said. "It seems like we are lowering the
bar."

Student Regent Max Espinoza also questioned the validity of some
of these changes.

"I don’t see why we have to exclude students who don’t have a
certain SAT I score from eligibility," Espinoza added.

Davis and others responded to criticisms by proposing to vote on
each matter separately. An official vote to implement the plan will
take place at the March 18-19 meeting.

UC President Richard Atkinson expected the displacement of only
200-300 applicants by changes in the admissions policy concerning
SAT requirements.

But, according to Atkinson and Davis, "No student will be
displaced by the 4 percent plan."

Davis assured the plan will send a positive message to students
considering applying to UC schools.

"Bottom line is if you finish in the top 4 percent, if you have
the guts, the heart, the will, the determination to succeed, you
will be a very good student at the University of California," Davis
said.DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin

UC President Richard Atkinson, shown here at a November 1998
regents meeting, discussed the 4 percent plan on Thursday.

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