State Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, unveiled plans for an education initiative in a statement Wednesday that would guarantee Wisconsin students admission into a UW System school.
'Wisconsin students deserve access to the state institutions that their parents and grandparents helped create and maintain with their hard-earned tax dollars,' Kreibich said in a statement. 'Admission should be automatic for Wisconsin students who perform well in high school.'
Under this proposal, if a Wisconsin student has taken three years of both math and science, finishes in the top 10 percent of their graduating class and scores a 25 on the ACT, they would be able to attend the UW school of their choice.
However, State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said he thinks meeting the criteria alone does not mean a student should be automatically admitted. Black said he believes community service, extracurricular activities and leadership roles are also important things to be considered in the admissions process.
Black, who serves on the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities, said he thinks it is a 'terrible idea' to have state legislatures interfere with the academic admission process.
According to Black, this plan would be unfair to Wisconsin students who attend schools with more rigorous academic environments and large sizes. Students who attend more competitive schools would find it much more difficult to graduate at the top 10 percent of their class.
Kreibich said he has heard too many stories of well-deserving Wisconsin students being denied from their top UW school choice.
Yet, if this initiative were to be put into action, Black said he fears schools would have a limited number of spots, leaving many qualified students disappointed.
