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A-10: CLOSING OR CONTROLLING ADMISSION TO A COLLEGE

Policy:

All baccalaureate undergraduate students are admitted to the University into a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) rather than into a major. Any restrictions on numbers of students to be admitted to a college as freshmen or with advanced standing are to be approved by the executive vice president and provost of the University. If freshmen are to be admitted directly to a major, an exception to the regular admission policy must be granted by the provost. (Ref: Senate Policy 05-50 and Senate Record, September, 1977)

Procedure:

If a college in its instructional programming determines that restrictions are necessary on the numbers of students that are admitted to the college, then it shall prepare a request to limit or close admissions to be endorsed by the college dean and forwarded to the vice provost for enrollment management and administration. Similarly, if an exception is desired to admit students directly to a major, a request is prepared for endorsement by the college dean and forwarded to the vice provost. The vice provost reviews the request and forwards the recommendation to the provost for approval. The vice provost advises the college dean of the decision and notifies the Undergraduate Admissions Office of the action to be taken. The vice provost also utilizes the Academic Information System of DUS to inform the general University community of any limits placed on college admissions or of any exceptions granted providing for direct admission to a major.

A request from a college for limiting numbers of students for admission to a college or for granting admission directly to a major should contain the following information:

  1. Name of college/major; signature of the college dean
  2. The type of admission restrictions desired, including
    1. Numbers of limits by Admission Categories I, II, and III. (See Senate-approved definitions.)
    2. Whether limits are to extend to University Park; Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; or Commonwealth Campuses.
    3. Period of time the limits are to be in effect. (Normally, limits are approved for a single admission year.)
    4. Statement on criteria and process to be used in the selection of individuals to be admitted in each admission category;
  3. Justification for the request, including:
    1. Instructional programming information demonstrating that a balance between instructional capacity of the college (major) and instructional requirements of students serviced by the college requires a limit on admissions.
    2. An analysis of forecasted enrollment patterns of students, including an assessment of the probable effects of the proposed limits on the flow of students through the majors of the college.
    3. Relationships of the request to limit admissions to the college to any proposed restrictions on entrance-to-majors within the college.
    4. An assessment of resource allocations and budgetary adjustments that, if they could be made, would relieve the need to set college admission restrictions.

Approved: ACUI (12-1-77)
Revised: ACUE (7-26-96)