University of Virginia Library

Admissions Office Redirects Procedure

By Donn Kessler
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

First of a Series

— Ed.)

With the basic character of the student
body changing at the University one soon
realizes that the admissions procedure has

also been altered. No longer does the
admissions office cooperate with
discriminatory private schools, or attempt
to use posh alumni parties to attract the
wealthy. Instead, basic changes have
occurred in the philosophy of the office.

The first major change in recruitment
procedure that has taken place over the
last few years is in the College Day
program. In this program, the University
attends regional meetings of high schools
within Virginia along with 100 to 300
other universities.

Shot-Gun Technique

Before the program was begun,
representatives from individual colleges
would come to individual secondary schools
and continually take students from their classes
for discussions.

The advantage to the program is that it has
the shot-gun technique of informing many
students at the same time of what the basic
requirements and atmosphere at the University
are.

At the same time, however, the program has
disadvantages. First among these problems is
that the University is represented as one among
a great number of other schools and therefore
may be viewed as just another college by some
students.

Discrimination

A second problem is that the program does
not hit all secondary schools. Some schools
would therefore be left entirely out of having a
representative personally speak to the students
concerning the University.

A third possible problem with the program
is discrimination. It is up to the school that is
going to host the program to invite other
secondary schools to attend. A school
administration could invite predominately
all-white schools or fail to invite predominately
black schools.

Mr. Ern, in discussing this problem, stated
that the University has been following the
policy not to attend any program that would
include segregated schools in the program.
This would go for private as well as public
schools.

Mr. Ern added that the problem was rapidly
diminishing as more state schools have been
desegregated.

Guidance Counselors

Another major avenue of recruitment that
has altered the enrollment at the University is
the guidance counselor conferences held in the
fall and spring at the University. Guidance
counselors from all over the state attend the
conferences and are informed of the changes
that have taken place, especially in regard to
the interest in recruitment of minority group
students and women.

As an example of the impact of this method,
Mr. Ern stated that applications from minority
groups increased dramatically following last
year's conference.

A method of recruiting out-of-state students
that has also been altered in recent years is the
use of local alumni associations to hold parties
and dinners for prospective applicants.

The basic qualm raised over the alumni
dinners is that of discrimination. Many alumni
have a different conception of the University
than exists in reality. Many alumni only want
upper class, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant
students to apply to the University.

To accomplish this goal, the alumni
committees have often held their recruitment
dinners (which are alumni funded) in exclusive
hotels or country clubs. Members of minority
and poverty groups were often 'turned off' by
the parties, if they were invited at all.

Recruiting Techniques

To counteract this problem, the admissions
office has attempted various techniques. The
first technique is that of informing alumni of
the changes in the atmosphere and enrollment
at the University. This is done in supplements
to the Handbook to Alumni School
Committees that are given to local alumni
committees helping in recruitment. One recent
supplement informed the alumni of the
university's interest in recruiting students from
minority groups and the beginning of
coeducation.