Purpose:
Policies for transfer admissions, admission to graduate and
professional programs, and the award of competitive scholarships and
fellowships
Date Approved:
August
14, 1997 (Editorially
amended September 2000 and May 2002)
Background:
House
Bill 588 passed by the 75th Legislature specified parameters for admission of
new freshman students and required governing boards to adopt written policies
for transfer admissions, admission to graduate and professional programs, and
the award of competitive scholarships and fellowships. To ensure that the institutional admissions
and scholarship policies comply with the new law, the following policy was
adopted:
I. The Texas Education Code (Chapter 51,
Section 51.352) assigns responsibility to governing boards to "set campus
admission standards consistent with the role and mission of the institution and
considering the admission standards of similar institutions. . . ." In addition, Chapter 51 (Subchapter S)
establishes guidelines for admission of freshman students and requires that
institutions of higher education adopt guidelines for admission of students to
other programs and for awarding of competitive scholarships and fellowships.
The
policies governing admission to academic programs and award of institutional
competitive scholarships and fellowships shall be designed to maximize
opportunity and access for all Texans, within parameters established by
applicable laws.
II. Admissions Criteria
A. Each covered institution shall adopt a
policy for admission of first-time freshman students that incorporates criteria
that are consistent with the Texas
Education Code Sections 51.803, 51.804, and 51.805. The admissions policy must provide, in
keeping with regulations promulgated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board, for automatic admission for students who have graduated in the top ten
percent of the graduating class from an accredited Texas high school. For students who do not qualify for
automatic admission, the policy shall specify the criteria which will be
considered in making the admission decision.
B. Each covered institution shall also adopt
policies for admission of transfer students and for admission to graduate,
postgraduate, and/or professional programs. The factors to be considered in graduate and professional school
admissions decisions must be consistent with Texas Education Code Section 51.822. The factors to be
considered in admissions and competitive scholarship decisions must be
published in the institutional catalog(s).
III. Award of Scholarships and Fellowships
For the award of institutional competitive scholarships and fellowships, each covered institution shall adopt policies that identify the criteria to be considered in making the awards.
IV. Automatic
Admission
In
keeping with the requirement of the Texas
Education Code Section 51.804, that governing boards determine for
each academic year whether automatic admission to a general academic component
shall be granted to students who graduate in the top 25 percent of their
graduating class, the responsibility for this annual determination is delegated
to the president of each institution covered by this policy. If a change in the admissions policy is
proposed, U. T. Board of Regents’ approval would follow established
procedures for administrative approval and inclusion in the institutional
docket.
V. Inclusion
in Catalog
The
admissions policies and criteria for award of scholarships and fellowships
shall be included in the institutional catalog(s) and shall otherwise be
available to the public on request. Changes in admission policies must be made and publicized a year prior
to the beginning of the semester or term for which persons are being
admitted. Changes in policies for award
of competitive scholarships/fellowships must be adopted and publicized prior to
the deadline for which the applications are received.
VI. Approval
Regental
approval of the initial policies and subsequent amendments, if any, shall be
made via the docket following administrative review and approval by the
appropriate Executive Vice Chancellor for inclusion in the institutional
catalog(s).
Last reviewed May 2002