State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) argued that legislators were overreaching in an attempt to force state universities to reserve admission spots to high-ranking students, and enough of his colleagues agreed to block the measure, House Bill 230.
It is important this chamber understands that what we are establishing is a way to circumvent the admissions process in state universities, Demmer said during a debate on the bill. “The legislation is inserting itself into a decision between a school and a student about whether that student is adequately prepared and ready to engage in college-level education.”
The measure's sponsor, Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago), replied that it is aimed at increasing diversity in universities and keeping promising students from leaving the state.
“If you’re like me, for the retention of our best and brightest students here in Illinois and stopping them from fleeing to Ann Arbor, Lansing, Bloomington, Indiana, or Colombia, Missouri, to never come back, you should vote 'yes,'" Thapedi said. "If you’re for diversifying our universities so that our kids are prepared to compete in this global economy, you should vote 'yes.' This bill is about our kids. This bill is about our state. To teach our kids, we have to reach our kids.”
The bill would require Illinois public universities to admit first-time freshman applicants who finish with a grade-point average in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class and satisfy the ACT or SAT benchmarks.
Demmer said his main concern was that the bill factors only class ranking for admittance.
“We’re taking one criteria – class rank, one criteria – and giving it special elevated status over all those other things that high school students across the state of Illinois know are important parts about being a good student and being well prepared for a college education,” Demmer said. “All the extracurriculars. All the challenges they give themselves in taking advance classes and pushing themselves. All of those extra things go away, and only class rank gets special status above and beyond all the rest.”
Demmer concluded that the state should not help decide a student's success.
“I think that we as a legislature must understand that it’s not our responsibility to determine whether a student is admissible to a college or university in Illinois,” Demmer said. “We need to trust the board of trustees and the administration that we empower in all of higher education across the state (and) that they have the best chance of evaluating a student’s likely of success. Class rank is not the only indicator of whether a student is prepared. There is a very full picture, and we should ensure that colleges and universities in Illinois can take that whole picture into account. Please vote 'no.'”
After the bill's defeat, Thapedi asked for a postponed consideration of the bill.
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