THE UNIVERSITY stands for public access to higher education. Its very founding was intended to give life to the notion that education should not be limited to one faith, one political persuasion or one walk of life. As such, the University has a responsibility to ensure that all people of the Commonwealth have the tools to gain access to this institution. While busy raising buildings and money, the University has turned its back on this most fundamental of responsibilities.
According to the College Board, in the entire nation only 3,600 African-American high school seniors score above 1200 on the SATs and are in the top 15 percent of their graduating class. This is roughly the academic threshold for entrance to the University.
One key reason for this poor showing is lack of access to the SAT prep courses that most middle- and upper-class students regularly take. These prep courses often add 100 or more points to a student's SAT score. Without this training, economically disadvantaged -- often minority -- students are not competing on an even playing field with the other applicants.
At last summer's meeting, the Board of Visitors sought to do their part to solve the problem. Board member Terence P. Ross proposed that the University could begin to fill the gap by sponsoring an intensive summer SAT prep program for academically gifted but economically disadvantaged students.
The summer program was straightforward. Between 200 and 300 rising ninth and 10th graders recommended by their principals would be invited to Charlottesville for one week with room, board and transportation paid by the University. While here they would receive intensive SAT training, as well as advice from the Office of Admissions on the college application process.
The hope was that not only would hundreds of disadvantaged students receive much needed education, but the University would be able to get a leg up in recruiting. The Board estimated that the cost would be no more than $1,000 per student, or $300,000 per year, and voted its approval. Gov. James S. Gilmore III signified his support and the strong probability of state funding to the Board.
But a funny thing happened on the way to Richmond. Once the bureaucrats and empire builders in Madison Hall got their hands on the program, things changed dramatically. The program grew to 750 students from grades 8-12 and doubled in length. Now costing $1.3 million dollars over the first two years, it required -- not surprisingly -- six full time employees to administer.
According to the decision packet the University sends to the Governor for budget requests, this bloated program was "designed to help the attendees understand the importance of a college education in today's society ...." By its own admission, the proposed program was basically a duplication of the federally funded Upward Bound. Worst of all, it dropped SAT prep from its curriculum.
It is no surprise that Gilmore did not support this redundant, bloated and administrator-heavy program. Equally unsurprising was the University's failure to appeal the Governor's decision to the General Assembly. Dean of African-American Affairs M. Rick Turner was right to call all of this a ploy designed to appease certain interests while preserving state funding for things higher up on President John T. Casteen III's list of priorities.
But this is one time when Casteen can't just blame Richmond. In fact, he has the ability to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to promoting diversity. Casteen has at his disposal something known as the President's Contingency Fund. This is a pool of discretionary funds provided by the Alumni Association, but administered through Madison Hall. Last year Casteen, among other things, spent almost $57,000 out of the fund on market research for the renaming of Clinch Valley College.
According to Alumni Hall records, at the beginning of fiscal year 2000 the Fund had $1,284,517 in unspent and uncommitted dollars. This is more than enough to start the pilot SAT program proposed by Ross last summer. Such a program is certainly as worthy of funding as studying how changing CVC's name would make people feel.
The University needs a new studio art building. The University needs a new basketball arena. But the University also needs to fulfill the promise of its founding and keep its compact with the people of the Commonwealth. The General Assembly notwithstanding, Casteen can bring SAT prep and application advising to thousands of economically disadvantaged Virginians with the stroke of a pen. The consequences of not doing so are his to bear.
(Sam Waxman's column appears Thursdays inThe Cavalier Daily.)
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