Associated Press Writer

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – University of Wisconsin System leaders tried to sell changes to their freshman admissions policy to the public Monday, saying race and other factors must be considered to ensure a diverse student body.,”

By RYAN J. FOLEY

Associated Press Writer

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – University of Wisconsin System leaders tried to sell changes to their freshman admissions policy to the public Monday, saying race and other factors must be considered to ensure a diverse student body.

UW System President Kevin Reilly said academic factors including test scores, the quality of high school classes and grade-point average would remain the most important. But he said the policy would allow admissions officers to look beyond those factors to ensure diversity in race, income and talent among the system's 160,000 students.

"This policy would allow each institution to admit students whose academic preparation, background and personal experience suggests they will succeed," he said.

Reilly spoke to a crowd of 50 at a UW-Madison lecture hall, and his words were relayed by video to similar gatherings in Green Bay, Eau Claire, Milwaukee and Stevens Point. The public hearings are part of an effort to explain changes that have ignited controversy, particularly over the use of race.

The proposal would require a full review of each applicant and would not allow campuses to guarantee admissions to students who meet certain academic requirements. Factors such as race, income, military service and special talents would be considered. UW-Madison already uses a full review and other campuses would be required to follow suit.

A critic of the changes, Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater and chair of the Colleges and Universities Committee, called the hearings "a pep rally for a failed policy."

Another critic, retired UW-Madison economics professor Lee Hansen, warned that he did not believe race could be considered under a state law that bars admissions tests based on race, religion or sex. And a third, former UW regent Fred Mohs, said it amounted to reverse discrimination against whites.

UW System officials said they believe their plan is legal and would bring the policy into compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2003 that said race could be considered as one of many factors. Currently, their policy says race can only be considered when students' academic requirements alone aren't enough to win admissions.

Other speakers, ranging from high school guidance counselors to students and alumni, endorsed the policy, which would be reviewed by regents every five years.

The UW System Board of Regents, which govern the system of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges, delayed approving the changes last year so they could gather more feedback. President David Walsh said the board would consider them next month.

Still, admissions officials say they do not expect big changes to the makeup of their freshman classes as a result of the changes.

Michelle Behnke, a Madison lawyer who is black, said she may not have been admitted to UW in the 1980s if officials considered only test scores and not her race and personal experience. These days, she noted she's a successful lawyer who runs her own firm.

She said her son, a high school senior, was not admitted to UW-Madison despite scoring 29 on the ACT. And that's appropriate because he was not a good fit there and was accepted at other schools, she said.

"This simply proves my point: race does not trump all other factors," she said. "Consideration of race along with the academic qualifications is a perfectly appropriate way to handle this situation. It's what I expect from my university."

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