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Posted: Wednesday, 08 July 2009 2:06PM
Former law dean testifies about clout at U of I
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CHICAGO (AP) - The former dean of the University of Illinois College of Law testified Wednesday that students she was forced to admit because of clout didn't take spots away from more qualified applicants.
Heidi Hurd testified before a state commission formed by Gov. Pat Quinn to investigate the role political clout played in the university's admissions process. The commission, led by former federal Judge Abner Mikva, is due to issue a report next month.
Hurd acknowledged that the university forced the law school to take politically connected students who otherwise would have been rejected, but she said those applicants were added only after admissions officials had selected a full class of students.
She told commission members that she opposed the clout system but didn't feel that she had many options for fighting it.
``I didn't think I had the authority to say no,'' said Hurd, who remains on the law school's faculty after stepping down from the dean's post in 2007. ``I was pushing back, but I ultimately thought they had the authority.''
After being forced to admit underqualified students, Hurd sought and received scholarship money from the university that she used to entice applicants with better credentials who could offset the negative impact of clout on the law school's standings, she said.
The university's clout list, dubbed ``Category I'' by officials, has existed for decades and was set up to track applicants who were recommended by trustees, lawmakers and donors, among others.
After the Chicago Tribune reported on the ``Category I'' list in May, the university suspended its use, and President Joseph White has pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
The law school had its own tracking system for applicants, which has also been suspended, officials said.
Paul Pless, assistant dean of law school admissions, testified before the panel Monday that over four years, the university forced the College of Law to admit 24 politically connected students. During that time, about 900 students were admitted overall.
Pless said the number of forced admissions gradually tapered off after peaking in 2006, and that there haven't been any this year.
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Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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