Academic Senate (with aerial photo of campus in background)
Photograph © 2003 by Alan Nyiri, courtesy of the Atkinson Photographic Archive.

Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools (CUARS)

 

Committee Members (AY 2009-2010)

Meeting Schedule 2009-2010
Day Date Time Location
Friday October 16, 2009 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday November 20, 2009 11:00am - 1:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday December 11, 2009 Canceled 11:00am - 1:00pm 2121 Murphy
Friday January 22, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday February 19, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday March 19, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday April 23, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday May 21, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm 3135 Murphy
Friday June 4, 2010 11:00am - 1:00pm 3135 Murphy

 

Committee Charge

CUARS advises the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools and the Chancellor's Office on matters pertaining to undergraduate admissions policy and helps formulate guidelines for admission to be used during the admission process. In order to learn what is involved in making actual admissions decisions, committee members read some sample student applications during the regular fall or winter quarters.

CUARS establishes the holistic review parameters for selecting UCLA admittees from the larger pool of those who are UC eligible, while policies concerning admissibility to the University of California are made by The Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), the officers of the University, The Regents, and the voters of the state. Office of Undergraduate Admissions (UARS) makes the actual decisions with CUARS oversight. In addition, CUARS serves the Admissions Office as a conduit for faculty concerns and a reservoir of classroom experience, advising the Admissions Office about such matters as outreach efforts directed at the high schools and qualifications needed for success in particular disciplines.

Membership

The committee consists of eight faculty, one faculty is also a member of the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), and two undergraduate student representatives.

Issues, Concerns, Goals

Comprehensive Review: CUARS in consultation with BOARS had recommended that UCLA move to a system of comprehensive review of all applications for entry into the freshman class effective Fall 2002. The review plan removed the previous Regents policy that imposed a two-tiered system of admissions in which a certain percentage of each year’s class was admitted on the basis of academic criteria alone. In the comprehensive review system, the evaluation of each student was based on 14 academic and non-academic criteria. CUARS will continue to cooperate with BOARS in its ongoing efforts to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of this policy at each of the campuses throughout the system.

Holistic Review: The Committee recommended the adoption of a holistic approach to Comprehensive Review beginning with Fall 2007 admissions. The purpose of holistic review is to provide a rigorous, individualized, and qualitative assessment of each applicant’s entire dossier. It ensures that academic reviews are based on a wide range of criteria including classroom performance, motivation to seek challenges, and the rigor of the curriculum within the context of high school opportunities. During 2007-08, CUARS reviewed and evaluated the freshman selection criteria used in the new holistic admissions process.  During 2008-09, CUARS studied the first cohort of students admitted to UCLA under holistic review in 2007 and determined that they were performing at the same level as students admitted under the old comprehensive review admissions model.  The Committee is currently overseeing the execution of a large-scale study of the holistic review process, based on data from the second year of implementation (2008). CUARS is also engaged in the development of a “Shared Read” process with Berkeley that will assist other campuses as they move to include holistic reviews in their admissions process.  To date, several campuses in the system have received training from UARS regarding the campus's holistic review model, and a few of the campuses have elected to incorporate some or all of UCLA's holistic review process into their own.

Access and Diversity: CUARS and the Undergraduate Council endorsed the BOARS Eligibility Reform proposal that was approved by the Regents in 2009.  The new policy goes into effect in 2012 and opens access to the University of California to under-served regions and populations in the State by casting a wider net for students "entitled to review" based on revised eligibility requirements. While likely to have a significant impact system-wide, this change is expected to have only minimal impact on the pool of students competitive for admission to UCLA. CUARS and the Undergraduate Council also supported the recommendations made by the UC Undergraduate Work Team of the Study Group on the University Diversity Report.  The Report addresses a range of issues, including providing students with the necessary tools to be better prepared for UC, eligibility requirements reform to allow greater access to under-served and underrepresented populations, and the need to create a supportive climate to achieve greater diversity. 

Outreach: The Committee has considered many of the successful outreach programs already in place and has contemplated others.  UCLA must build upon established relations with schools and find new ways to engage with schools in the state’s most disadvantaged communities to ensure that more underrepresented K–12 students are eligible for admission to UCLA.

Also, please refer to relevant appendices.

The Committee meets once every month.

Chair: Darnell Hunt, Sociology, 310-825-7462, dhunt@soc.ucla.edu
Senate Staff Contact: Judith Lacertosa, Principal Policy Analyst, 310-825-1194, jlacertosa@senate.ucla.edu

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