Background Noise: Talk Shows on Mute
Last website visited: UC Regents Raise GPA Standards
Mood: soon, i get to leave soon...
Right now i want... to comment; shocker.

"Following a study finding that California students were qualifying for UC at higher than expected levels," says an article in the mercury news today, "faculty had recommended raising the required minimum GPA [for entrance to University of California schools] from 2.8 to 3.1."

the Regents settled on raising the minimum GPA to 3.0, according to the article.

There has been a great deal of discussion on the local radio and in the news paper, and, indeed, at the Regents meeting where this change was voted on, about how raising the minimum GPA would adversely affect black and latino students trying to gain admission to the state universities, even though the minimum scores will apply to all students seeking admission. Students at the meeting chanted "Education is a right, not just for the rich and white," alluding to the fact that minority students are under represented at the state schools.

the short version? yes, the short version, i want to go home.

State Universities have a small number of spots which should be filled by the most qualified students, regardless of race or socioeconomic background. If you haven't guessed, this means i am absolutely against Affirmative Action, and i applaud the state's decision to raise the GPA requirements.

Yes, it is a large problem that minorities are already underrepresented in the UC schools. However, standards should not be amended based on one's race; a student is a student, your grades are what they are, and, as obnoxious as it is, there aren't enough spaces in the school system for everyone. a line must be drawn somewhere.

In this case, the UC Regents opted for a more accomplished student body that comes in with a better chance of graduating; in doing so, 5,650 more students a year will be automatically rejected (starting in 2007). These rejected students will come from all races and backgrounds, and they all will have to seek alternate places to go to college, be it an out of state school, or a community college. the point is, those students who want to seek a higher education still have a means to do so. They just might have to work a bit harder for it.

As i have pointed out before, the path to college starts in 6th grade: if you're not taking the right classes and concerned about your grades then, chances are you aren't going to get into a top University. Want the number of minority students from poorer economic backgrounds to increase? Raise the teaching and curiculum standards starting in middle school; increase the number of honors classes and AP's offered in high school (instead of cutting them); require music education; and above all tell the students: the decisions you make today affect the ones you have an opportunity to make tomorrow and later in your future; pay attention and make sure the path you're on is the right one for you. kids are smarter than their teachers and parents often give them credit for.