University of Illinois Sued Over Admissions Clout Lists

The Chicago Tribune has sued the University of Illinois for information explaining why applicants were placed on admission clout lists, specifically the names of applicants' parents and identities of the patrons who advocated on behalf of the applicants.

The university has refused to provide the information to the newspaper, saying the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prevents its disclosure.

Read more about the lawsuit here.

Computers seized from U of I Chancellor's Office

The University of Illinois removed two computers from the chancellor's office so that officials can obtain all e-mail relevant to the online admissions controversy, The News-Gazette reported. The university released 123 pages of e-mail messages in response to FOIA requests from The News-Gazette and the Chicago Tribune. It's unknown whether the newly released documents were intentionally withheld or just overlooked.

The University of Illinois legal office removed two computers from Chancellor Richard Herman's office Thursday as part of a new "protocol" to ensure all e-mail relevant to an ongoing admission inquiry are recovered.

UI spokesman Thomas Hardy said the protocol allows officials to capture e-mail on computers and servers and search the messages for relevant keywords, rather than relying on individuals to provide the information themselves.

"It's not the process that is typically used in searching for documents," he said Friday.

More here.

U. of I. trustees used clout system for their benefit

FOI at Work!
The Chicago Tribune obtained new records that show almost 100 instances in which University of Illinois trustees "backed" applicants -- including their relatives, colleagues' children and "key employees" -- in the past three years. Between 2003 and 2008, more than 800 applicants were "flagged for special treatment" at the Urbana-Champaign campus. Every member of the Board of Trustees took part in the process, except for new trustee Edward McMillan. "All (trustees) are political contributors, with some having close political ties or a record of generous contributions to the impeached governor." The trustees maintain that they weren't meddling in the admissions process but were serving as intermediaries between applicants and the university.

In September 2006, the dean of the University of Illinois' law school e-mailed a colleague in admissions to say that a U. of I. trustee had "just called me about getting his [relative] into law school here next year."

Dean Heidi Hurd asked the administrator to walk the board member, Dr. Kenneth Schmidt, through "all the variables and considerations to the admissions process."

"Needless to say, this one takes velvet gloves," Hurd wrote, public records show. Schmidt's relative was admitted.

More here.

Chicago Tribune sues for data on clout applicants

The Chicago Tribune has filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois after officials declined to disclose ACT test scores and GPAs for applicants who were given preferential treatment. The data was originally requested in April while the newspaper was conducting its investigation. The university president says FERPA prevents the release of those details even if student names would be redacted.

The Chicago Tribune filed a state lawsuit Tuesday against the University of Illinois demanding the immediate release of grade point averages and standardized test scores of the hundreds of college applicants placed on an internal list of well-connected students.

The Tribune originally sought the information in April for an ongoing series of stories about the clout list, in which it reported that students whose applications were pushed by public officials or university trustees received preferential treatment by the admissions office despite concerns about some applicants' qualifications.

In response to an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request by the Tribune, the university released about 1,800 pages of documents -- including e-mail exchanges expressing worry about the "terrible" and "weak" academic records of some applicants -- that have been the foundation of the Tribune's "Clout Goes to College" series.

More here.

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."

More here.

Records reveal special consideration given to University of Ill. applicants

FOI at Work!
The Chicago Tribune reviewed about 1800 pages of documents (obtained via FOIA), which revealed that about 800 undergraduate students since 2005 have received special admission consideration at the University of Illinois. The newspaper terms it the "clout list." Last school year about 77 percent of those on this list were admitted when only 69 percent of all applicants were accepted. Documents show "politically appointed trustees and lawmakers routinely behave as armchair admissions officers advocating on behalf of relatives and neighbors."

At a time when it's more competitive than ever to get into the University of Illinois, some students with subpar academic records are being admitted after interference from state lawmakers and university trustees, a Tribune investigation has revealed.

Hundreds of applicants received special consideration in the last five years, according to documents obtained by the Tribune under the state's Freedom of Information Act. The records chronicle a shadow admissions system in which some students won spots at the state's most prestigious public university over the protests of admissions officers, while others had their rejections reversed during an unadvertised appeal process.

In one case, a relative of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the now-convicted influence peddler for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, got admitted after U. of I. President B. Joseph White wrote an e-mail stating that the governor "has expressed his support, and would like to see admitted" Rezko's relative and another applicant.

More here.