University of California to Raise Admissions Standards

Last Thursday, the University of California Board or Regents voted to raise the minimum GPA admissions requirement from 2.8 to 3.0. This decision was made largely because state budget cuts have forced the UC system to decrease enrollment. Defenders of the decision also maintained that this new policy would sustain higher standards among its schools.

This decision was not made lightly. It was debated for many hours, and many students and other interested parties spoke out in opposition of the proposed grade point hike. "Education, not segregation" was a chant that was heard frequently at the meeting.

The grade point hike is likely to further dampen admissions to minorities, including black and Hispanic students. Protesters argued that minority enrollment was already dampened because of high grade point requirements, and that this further hike would hit them hardest. They wanted to see another plan to limit enrollment that affected the incoming student population more equally across racial lines.

Those that pushed the vote through argued that other plans to decrease enrollment had already been enacted, and the grade point hike was one of the last remaining alternatives if the UC system wanted to adhere to its budgetary constraints.