Legislator responds to report of questionable admissions standards

The Chicago Tribune's series on admissions practices at the University of Illinois set off a fire storm. State Rep. Mike Boland wants the school system's president and those trustees who interfered with the application process to resign. He also asked the governor to appoint an investigative panel to ensure preferential treatment is no longer given to politically connected candidates. The university suspended its "clout list" (or Category 1) of student applicants and announced the creation of an internal panel to examine the process. Boland also is asking to hold legislative hearings on Category I.

Fallout from questionable admissions practices at the University of Illinois continued Sunday as a state representative called for the resignation of the school system's president and the trustees who meddled with student applications.

State Rep. Mike Boland (D-East Moline), chairman of the state House Higher Education Committee, said President B. Joseph White and other university leaders betrayed the public's confidence by giving preferential treatment to politically connected applicants.

"They were trusted to protect our university," Boland said. "In my eyes, they failed in that regard and they should resign."

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