University of Virginia Library

Shannon: Freezing Out-Of-State Numbers

The time has come when
the University must either give
in to the pressures to accept
more Virginians or face the
possible consequences of a
legislatively imposed limit on
its out-of-state student ratio.

The Board of Visitor's
present plan of action is to
freeze the enrollment of
non-residents entering the
University each year at a
constant number while
increasing the enrollment of
Virginia students over the same
period.

Just whether this solution
will be acceptable to the
legislature is still somewhat
indefinite. What effects it or
other possible limitations on
out-of-state enrollment might
have at the University also
remains the subject of
considerable speculation.

University President Edgar
F. Shannon said that he
thought the Board's plan was
"a very sound decision."

"It has been well received
by Sen [William F.] Stone, his
commission and the public at
large," Mr. Shannon said.

He also said the Board's
move is not solely the result of
political pressure on the
University but is mainly due to
the increasing numbers of
well-qualified Virginians
seeking admission to the
University each year.

"The Board's decision is
directly related to the desire to
accommodate more Virginians
while maintaining out-of-state
students."

"Essentially, the University
has been able to maintain the
out-of-state students to this
point because the out-of-state
students have not been taking
the place of Virginia students.
We've been taking all of the
Virginians and having the
advantage of out-of-state
students as well."

Expansion Needed

"Now, however, the
University could not possibly
maintain the out-of-state
students without some
expansion. But with some
growth in size, we're able to
accommodate the qualified
Virginians while not having to
squeeze out all of the
out-of-state students," Mr.
Shannon said.

Yet in an interview with
The Cavalier Daily, Sen. Stone
said that as a member of the
state Finance Committee, he
would oppose any allocation of
expansion funds to the
University until it cuts back its
out-of-state enrollment.

"Since we are not increasing
the number of out-of-state
students but are providing for
some increase for Virginians, I
would hope that Sen. Stone
would see that he is financing
Virginians with the expansion
money," Mr. Shannon said.

Mr. Shannon attributed the
increasing number of
"qualified" Virginia applicants
seeking admission here to the
addition of a large number of
qualified women students to
the applicant pool and to
increased recognition of the
University's quality.

"Many able Virginia
students who formerly were
not satisfied with the
University and felt they had to
go elsewhere now feel that the
University is a good place."
"With the University as it is
now," he asserted, "Virginians
don't have to go out-of-state to
find a cosmopolitan, first-rate
educational experience."

"When we have more
qualified in-state students and
also have to consider restraints
on enrollment because of size
and facilities, the Virginians
have to be considered first."

Ratio Maintained

Mr. Shannon said that the
precise ratio of out-of-state
students to be maintained by
the University is indeterminate.
"I'm opposed to any kind of
arbitrary percentages."

"We can't afford to argue
about percentages–we have to
try to attain our objectives and
the percentages will take care
of themselves."

Those objectives include
providing for qualified
Virginians, carrying out
academic programs and

following through with the
present policies of the Board of
Visitors "that will assure that a
sizable number of Virginians
will be maintained at the
University," he said.

'Ideal' Ratio Considered

Mr. Shannon also
commented that he thought no
truly "ideal" ratio of
out-of-state students could be
determined because of
fluctuations in the applicant
pool from year to year. "It's
primarily a matter of keeping a
good, broad mix and being sure
that we're fulfilling the
academic objectives of the
University." Mr. Shannon
thought the University was
still maintaining a good mix,
but he added that a 15 percent
limitation as mentioned by
Sen. Stone at the last session of
the General Assembly would
be "far too low"

"I would certainly feel that
there was a question as to
whether we were fulfilling our
academic mission if we got
down to below 25 per cent. But
for the University to undertake
to work down to anything like
a 15 per cent limit would be
almost fatal to the objectives
of the University, particularly
in graduate areas."

"All major graduate
institutions draw from all over
the country. We couldn't
possibly have a first-rate
program in graduate areas
without a large out-of-state
component."

Mr. Shannon noted that the
University was the only
institution in the state, either
public or private, which is
carrying any number close to
40 per cent of its total
population as graduate
students.

On admissions to the
University, Sen. Stone told The
Cavalier Daily that he thought
the University was being too
"discriminatory" by accepting
students who finish in the top
20 per cent of their high school
classes. According to Mr.
Shannon, 81 per cent of this
year's entering class did come
from the top 20 per cent of
their classes, but he
emphasized that the
Admissions Office has not set
this qualification as an
arbitrary standard for
admission.

"Basically, the Admissions
Office is trying to predict those
students who have the best
chance of performing well
under the academic
circumstances that are
expected at the University," he
explained.

"We do take people below
the top 20 per cent. We also
have variations in college board
scores. We're trying to pick
individuals rather than go by
the numbers."

The role of the University as
a "national" state institution
has also been questioned by
opponents of high out-of-state
ratios at the University.

The national character can
be justified, according to Mr.
Shannon, on the basis of the
founding principle of the
University. "Mr. Jefferson
conceived of the University as
a national institution that
would be worthy of public
support but that would attract
other students".

"We will continue to do
so," he said..."That is, to the
extent that we can persuade
the state legislature to go along
with us."