University Counsel
Extraordinary Admissions Protocol
Protocol for Committee On Extraordinary Admissions
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
(Approved By Chancellor 1992)
Purpose
The University strives to evaluate fairly and accurately applications for
admission in order to ensure equality of educational opportunity while
fostering an environment that promotes education, research and service.
The development and safety of all members of the University community are also
important objectives.
On occasion the Director of Admissions {1} perceives a
need for advice from, or consultation with, knowledgeable
professionals on legal, psychological, behavioral or other issues arising
during admissions decision making. The purposes of this protocol are to
establish an advisory body to assist the Director when the need arises and
to provide a procedural framework for evaluation of extraordinary
admission s cases.
Committee on Extraordinary Admissions
Accordingly, a Committee on Extraordinary Admissions will be constituted, to be composed of the following members:
- In cases of either undergraduate or graduate applicants
- The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or his {2}designee;
- The Director of the Counseling and Testing Center
- The Affirmative Action/504 Officer
- The University Counsel
- In cases of undergraduate applicants (in addition to the members listed in (a).)
- A representative of the Faculty Enrollment Management Committee to be appointed by the Chair of that Committee
- In cases of graduate applicants (in addition to the members listed in (a).)
- A representative of the Graduate School to be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School
- A representative of the Graduate Studies Committee to be appointed by the Chair of that Committee
Authority of the Director of Admissions
Authority of the Committee of Extraordinary Admissions
Procedures
The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or his designee shall act as Committee Chair.
Staff for the Committee shall be provided by the Office of Student Affairs.
The Director of Admissions is the final decision-maker on admissions, subject only to review on appeal as set out in The Code of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.
The Director of Admissions may (but is not required to) refer any admissions case to the Committee on Extraordinary Admissions for the purpose of seeking advice and consultation in the decision making process. Normally referrals will occur in those cases presenting difficult or unusual legal, emotional, behavioral, or other issues which, in the judgment of the Director of Admissions, may result in the admission of a person who, while otherwise meeting objective admissions criteria, might jeopardize the safety of the University community or the educational interests of the University or for whom the stress of the academic environment may be destructive to the person's physical or mental health.
The Committee is advisory. It will review and evaluate any admissions case referred to it by the Director of Admissions. The scope of that review and evaluation will be jointly decided by the Committee and the Director of Admissions. The Committee may obtain and review any records deemed necessary to carry out the evaluation including, but not limited to, application documents, records pertaining to the applicant's behavior (for example, court documents in the case of a criminal conviction, or a statement from the student's previous school in a case involving academic dishonesty or violation of a disciplinary rule), and medical or psychological records with consent of the applicant. The Committee may also interview the applicant or any other person having relevant knowledge.
The Committee may, in its discretion, seek to have the applicant's present condition evaluated, at University expense, by a mental health professional of the Committee's choice, with notice to the applicant that the results of such an evaluation will be communicated to the Committee and the Director of Admissions, but neither the Committee nor the Director will be bound by the recommendations contained in such an evaluation.
The Committee operates informally. It does not conduct hearings. An applicant for admission has no right to appear before the Committee either in person or through counsel.
When the Director of Admissions desires to refer a case to the Committee, the request will be forwarded in writing, along with pertinent documentation, to the Committee Chair who will convene the Committee.
The Committee should consider all of the information presented by the Director and any other information that it believes is relevant, e.g., interviews, psychological evaluations, and criminal records.
The Committee will make a record of any interviews it conducts, either by taped recording, written notes or other permanent medium.
When the Committee has completed its review and evaluation of a case, it will prepare a written assessment, including its recommendations, for submission to the Director of Admissions. The assessment need not contain detailed findings and conclusions, but should provide the rationale for the Committee's recommendations agreed upon by a majority vote. A dissenting opinion, if any, may also be submitted. The assessment (and dissenting opinion, if any), along with the record of any interviews which were conducted and any documents which were considered, shall be made a part of the applicant's files in the Admissions Office.
FOOTNOTES
{1} Throughout this document the term "Director of Admissions" shall be understood to refer to the Director of Undergr aduate Admissions, the Director of Continuing Education in his capacity as decision maker concerning admission of undergraduates to ACES or other programs under his division, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
{2} Throughout this document, the masculine pronoun shall be understood to refer to the feminine and the plural as appropriate.