UNC to balance access, quality

While UNC-system leaders urge universities to raise their academic quality, some small schools worry this will conflict with the needs of the populations they serve.

The mandate is less problematic for large universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill, but for smaller regionally based schools, raising admission standards could have the unintended result of excluding the students they are meant to serve.

“We’re all about access,” said Alan Mabe, UNC-system vice president for academic affairs.

“But unless access is translated into student success, it’s limited.”

Concerns about academic quality come from some schools admitting unprepared students during periods of rapid growth, UNC-system leaders said last month. State funding for universities is currently tied to enrollment growth.

“I think some campuses were so enthusiastic about growth and access that they did not give equal attention to whether all of the students were positioned for success,” stated Board of Governors Chairwoman Hannah Gage in an e-mail.

The board is weighing how best to encourage schools to maintain academic quality while growing.

UNC-Greensboro serves many first-generation and minority students who have different needs and priorities than typical students, said David Perrin, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Many have to support themselves financially and come from families that can’t guide them through the educational system.

“The targets set by (General Administration) are quite ambitious for any campus,” Perrin said. “It’s a challenge for everyone, but it’s especially a challenge here.”

Students who need to pay their way must work and attend class, which could delay their graduation, said Charles Harrington, provost and vice chancellor for student affairs at UNC-Pembroke.

Graduation and retention rates are key factors used to measure academic quality.

UNC-P primarily serves the American Indian population in eastern North Carolina and first-generation college students who have few academic opportunities, Harrington said.

Jon Young, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University, said that in rural and poor communities, students can meet the system’s requirements on paper and still not be ready for college.

To prepare these underserved populations for the academic rigors of a university, the schools have launched various programs.

FSU is known for its “summer bridge” program, a five-week intensive program designed to help students who did not meet admission requirements but want to enroll. UNC-G has a similar program.

“It appears to be quite successful in terms of preparing people who might not have had the greatest preparation,” Mabe said. “They spent a lot of time with these students and give them a jump on their first year.”

Several universities are trying to increase their involvement with students’ academics by creating academic support groups, expanding advising and encouraging student involvement on campus.

“The more involved students are in the life of the university, the greater the likelihood they’re going to stay at that campus and do better academically,” Harrington said.

The focus needs to remain on meeting the students’ needs, the university leaders insist.

“We don’t want to increase them to the standard that we preclude the kind of students we pride ourselves on having from coming here,” Perrin said.


Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.