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UM mulls remedial plan for students

The University of Montana is con sidering a plan to gradually increase admission standards and eventually funnel “ at-risk”
students to the College of Technology in Butte for the early years of their higher education .

By the Associated Press The Montana Standard

On Thursday, the school’s faculty senate plans to vote on the new admission standards proposal, including giving “ provisional acceptance” to some
students.

The proposal “ is more responsive to student needs while raising academic quality at the same time,” said UM Provost Lois Muir.
The draft copy of the proposal concludes: “ UM must maintain its enrollment goals in order to meet budgetary needs. In order to accomplish both
we must gradually increase standards over a period of time, support `at-risk’ students with existing resources and capitalize on the prestige associated
with becoming a selective campus.”

Currently, UM admits about 1,500 traditional-age freshmen students who meet or exceed one of the follow ing: a 2.5 high school grade point
average, an ACT com posite score of 22, a combined SAT score of 1,030, or place ment in the upper half of their graduating class.

Under the new admission plan, which would be implemented in phases over a peri od of four or five years, incoming students must have a 2.5 high
school GPA and one of the required ACT or SAT scores.

Starting as early as fall 2002, “ provisional acceptance” would be given to stu dents who do not meet the basic requirements set by the Board of
Regents. Each year, approximately 100 students admitted to UM fall into this category because they have a special talent in a particular academic
field such as drama or music, Muir said.
Those students are given two semesters to complete 24 credits and earn a cumu late 2.0 grade point average, thus earning full admission.

Under Phase II of the plan, likely to begin in spring 2003, the pool of students who fall into the “ provisional accep tance” category would grow to
150.
Phase III would have 225 more students in the “ provisional acceptance” category, and admit those students to the College of Technology in Butte.
If they’re successful there, the students would gain full admission to UM.

“ This is nothing different in terms of service, but the idea is that these students are identified within the universi ty system as someone who is at
higher risk, and we make a special effort to point them in the direction of services that are available to them on cam pus,” said Jim Jacobs, UM
professor. “ Eventually, the idea is to increase the admis sion standards on the main campus and to steer those students who may be under prepared
to the COT.”

http://www.mtstandard.com/newsregional/rnews4.html

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