UH-Downtown ends open admissions
| Daniel Renfrow/The Daily Cougar
UH–Downtown will no longer be an option for high school seniors applying to schools with open-admissions.
On Feb. 13, the UH System Board of Regents voted unanimously on setting automatic admission standards that will take effect starting Fall of 2013.
Setting admissions standards has been under discussion for several years. UH-D leadership developed the proposed standards in consultation with the UH System Board of Regents and administrators. The standards were discussed with legislators and with UH-D faculty, staff, alumni and students before the proposal was submitted to the UH System Board of Regents for approval, according to the Board.
“Our focus is on student success and access. Admission standards are in the best interest of our students, since it will provide a pathway for education at a university or a community college, depending on a student’s interest, ability and preparation,” said vice president of Enhancement and External Relations Johanna Wolfe.
According to the Board of Regents, students graduating in the top 25 percent of their class would automatically be admitted; those in the 26 to 50 percent group must have a combined SAT score of 850, a 2.5 GPA or an ACT admissions test score of 18.
Although the University is changing its admissions policy, there is a plan for students who do not meet the criteria for automatic admissions.
UH-D will offer a joint admissions program with several local community colleges for freshman students who were not admitted. Students participating in the program will enroll in developmental and core courses that will transfer over to UH-D once they have been successfully completed. While these students are enrolled in classes at community college, they will have full access to UH-D facilities and services.
With the new automatic admission standards and other improvements, Wolfe hopes for UH-D to become one of the top choices for graduating high school seniors.
“There is a role for every university in the UH System and UH-D plays its part in providing higher education opportunities in the Houston and Gulf Coast region. It’s not about competition, but about access to education for a broad population of adults and providing work-force ready graduates for the fourth largest city in the nation,” Wolfe said. “By admitting students who are prepared to do college-level work, UH-D will increase the number of students graduating annually. We are also strengthening advising and mentoring for our students, to support their ability to complete their degrees in fewer years.”
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