An independent report from the Berkeley Group, commissioned by the board of regents of Texas Southern University, found that the university admitted large numbers of students that did not meet the admissions requirements of the university. For the years 2017 to 2019, at least 43 percent of admitted students did not meet the academic requirements. In 2017, 56 percent of admitted students were later deemed unqualified.
Students who were below the university’s academic admissions criteria did not perform as well academically as those who met the criteria. Students who were below the criteria were also less likely to remain enrolled and continue working towards their degree. For the Fall 2017 and 2018 entering student cohorts, 63 percent and 49 percent of the students were no longer enrolled at Texas Southern University by the fall of 2019.
The report also determined that about $2 million in scholarships were awarded to students in the entering classes from 2017 to 2019 who did not meet the minimum academic requirements.
Earlier, this year, the board of regents dismissed Texas Southern University President Austin Lane in part due to irregularities in the admission process at the university’s law school. It is not known whether the information contained in this recent report, impacted the board’s decision to fire President Lane.
Dr. Lane has since been selected as the next chancellor of Southern Illinois Carbondale. (See JBHE post.)
TSU admission staff unknowingly is engaging in “body count” that does harm to the marginal students. Most of these students will incurred loan debts many will experience problems repaying on time thus dooming them to bad credit. This begs the question of is this exploitation? TSU like most colleges have enough data to predict who will succeed at that institution. Since TSU have in place standards the Admission staff violated,it’s time clean the house.
Aren’t we all sick and tired of the recycling of these horrible administrators? And they always do the same shady stuff, or worse if left unchecked. These schools who recycle them should lose all federal funding. When you hit the pockets of these board of trustees, maybe then we’ll see change. Come on! I really hope the 2020 President stops this. And uncover the hbcu identity politics scam for funding. Terrible!
It is unfortunate that TSU has been practicing the numbers game regarding enrollment. It does no service to the students that are admitted nor to the faculty and staff who are expected to help these students persist and complete a degree program. Does the institution ignore the research on student persistence and completion or is the financial plight of the institution the driving force? These issues need to be resolved externally and internally in order for these issues to not be a recurring problem for the institution.