Report 2015-107 Recommendation 2 Responses

Report 2015-107: The University of California: Its Admissions and Financial Decisions Have Disadvantaged California Resident Students (Release Date: March 2016)

Recommendation #2 To: University of California

To meet its commitment to California residents, the university should amend its referral process by taking steps to increase the likelihood that referred residents ultimately enroll.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

UC maintains partial implementation as the final status on this recommendation as previously noted by the Agency.

UC continues to automatically redirect eligible applicants to campus(es) that are less impacted. As the newest campus in California's premier public university, UC Merced is rapidly growing and evolving. The campus welcomed its largest first year class ever this fall and continues to rise in various rankings. Merced will continue to be the referral campus for the freshmen admission process, and as Merced's stature continues to grow, we are hopeful that more residents referred to Merced will choose to enroll.

The annual BOARS reports have indicated while enrollment on our campuses has increased, the percent of eligible students is also rising and contributing to the growth in students in the referral pool. The state's Eligibility Study for the Class of 2015 confirmed that the eligibility rate for UC was higher than the 12.5% recommended in the Master Plan for Higher Education. While no immediate changes were made as a result of the eligibility study, UC recently eliminated the use of standardized tests in admissions and updated its statewide admission index for admission to fall 2022.

The 2021 Annual Report on Comprehensive Review can be accessed here:

https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/documents/boars-2021-cr-report.pdf

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

The university's response indicates that it has not made any effort to amend its referral process, which is its process of referring California residents, who were denied admission to the campus of their choice, to admission at the Merced campus. As we have previously noted, only a small percentage--between 1 to 2 percent--of California residents that the university refers to the Merced campus actually accept admission. Specifically, as noted on page 5 of the link that the university provided: "Among students placed in the referral pool, 304 (2%) opted in for consideration to admission at Merced and about 13% of these students (39) ultimately enrolled at Merced (0.4% of the overall referral pool)." Therefore, the condition is unchanged from the time of our audit.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020

As previously reported, BOARS reviewed their Compare Favorably policy in 2017 and concluded no change in policy was needed. The conclusion of the BOARS review stated the following: In the face of increasing applications, budgetary pressures, and heightened public scrutiny, the Compare Favorably policy has held up well, providing flexibility for campuses while ensuring that the University's responsibility to California students remains paramount.

Annual reports includes evidence that the degree of compliance across the University is very high, especially when one considers both the volume of applications that are received by the University, the extraordinary level of achievement presented by virtually all applicants, and the challenges of applying the complex Compare Favorably standard within the context of a competitive, internally-dynamic admissions process. BOARS will continue to monitor campus compliance with this policy, report outcomes on an annual basis, and could, as data warrant, suggest adjustments to the policy in the future.

The 2017 policy review can be found here:

https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/Compare-Favorably-Report-to-President-July-2017.pdf

The 2020 Compare Favorably report can be found here:

https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/documents/2019-compare-favorably-report.pdf

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement

The university's response indicates that it has not made any effort to amend its referral process, which is its process of referring California residents, who were denied admission to the campus of their choice, to admission at the Merced campus. As we have previously noted, only a small percentage--between 1 to 2 percent--of California residents that the university refers to the Merced campus actually accept admission.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019

The demand for enrollment at the freshman level outpaces that of transfers. Freshman applications for 2018 increased by 7.3 percent over 2017. While total new student enrollment grew in 2018, the 9x9 eligibility structure overshot its original target for admission guarantees and, as a result, the overall eligibility pool was larger than expected. The total referral pool grew to 12,500 in 2018, a 14% increase.

Merced, however, continues to build its stature within the system; applications to the campus grew in 2018 reflecting a nearly three-fold increase since its opening in 2005. As the fastest growing campus in the UC system, more students are choosing to apply directly to the campus and ultimately enroll there, including a portion of the students who find themselves in the referral pool. According to the 2018 Annual Report on Undergraduate Admissions Requirements and Comprehensive Review, 168 students (1.3%) from the fall 2018 referral pool enrolled at Merced compared to 119 students (1.1%) in fall 2017.

The 2019 Annual Report can be accessed here: https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/boars-2019-cr-report.pdf

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

The UC's response and 2019 annual report indicate that it is working to increase the appeal of its Merced campus, but that in 2018 only 1.3 percent of the applicants referred to the campus--just 168 students--ultimately enrolled there. This low enrollment rate is in the same 1-2 percent range that we reported on page 35 of our audit, which indicates any actions that the UC has taken are not working to improve resident referral enrollment at the Merced campus. This problem is likely to continue as Figure 2 in UC's 2019 annual report shows that overall admissions by campus have declined over the past 2 years. The UC has not indicated any other change to its referral process to implement the recommendation.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2018

As stated in last year's response, the best way to serve students is to offer enrollment opportunities at the campus that they wish to attend and not refer them to a campus they never applied to. The demand for enrollment at the freshman level outpaces that of transfers. Freshman applications for 2017 increased by 6 percent over 2016. While total new student enrollment grew in 2017, the reduction in the freshman referral pool from enrollment growth experienced in 2016 could not be sustained at the same level.

Merced, however, continues to build its stature within the system; applications to the campus and yield of admitted students both increased in 2017. As the fastest growing campus in the UC system, more students are choosing to apply directly to the campus and ultimately enroll there, including a portion of the students who find themselves in the referral pool. According to the 2018 Annual Report on Undergraduate Admissions Requirements and Comprehensive Review, 119 students (1.1%) from the fall 2017 referral pool enrolled at Merced.

The 2018 Annual Report can be accessed here: https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/committees/boars/boars-2018-report-to-regents.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Until the university is able to increase the proportion of students who ultimately accept offers to a referral campus, we will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2017

The key to an effective referral pool for California resident is to make it smaller, not more attractive. When enrollment growth funding is provided, students are more likely to enroll at a campus they wish to attend rather than enroll at a campus for which they have no interest. The University's strategy in improving the referral pool for California residents is two-pronged: The first strategy is to shrink the number of students in the referral pool, which means more students are admitted to a campus of choice. President Napolitano's pledge to enroll an additional 10,000 more California resident students is advancing UC toward this goal. In 2016, when enrollment growth funding was provided by the State, the referral pool shrank by 25 percent from 2015 (the smallest referral pool in nearly a decade). The second strategy is to increase the attractiveness of the UC Merced, the campus which accommodates the most referral pool students in the UC system. In July 2016 the Regents voted to approve the Merced 2020 plan. This capital plan will make it possible for the campus to enroll significantly more undergraduate students as it also offers additional academic programs and majors. In addition, the plan increases the attractiveness of the campus by offering additional residential and student services space. . The best way to serve students is to offer them enrollment opportunities at campuses that they wish to attend. Indeed, the long-term goal of the 2020 plan is to accommodate an ever increasing number of California residents who wish to enroll at a campus having a broad array of majors and opportunities. Data indicate that this strategy is working. Since 2013, when the Merced 2020 plan was first announced, applications to the campus have increased 26 percent, the number of admitted students has increased by 43 percent and enrollment at the campus has increased by 23 percent. UC Merced is the fastest growing campus in the UC system.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

While we agree that increasing overall resident admissions and improving the attractiveness of the Merced campus will likely increase the proportion of referred students who enroll, the vast majority of students referred to UC Merced continue to decline enrollment offers. Specifically, the university noted that 182, or 2 percent, of the 9,598 fall 2015 freshmen in the referral pool enrolled at Merced in academic year 2015-16. Until the university is able to increase the proportion of students who ultimately accept offers to a referral campus, we will not consider this recommendation to be fully implemented.

1-Year Agency Response

To increase the likelihood that referred students consider enrollment at Merced, UC continues to expand educational offerings and facilities at that campus. In July 2016 the Regents of the University of California voted to approve the Merced 2020 plan—an ambitious capital plan to build new academic, residential, and student services space that will greatly enhance Merced's desirability and its ability to offer a broader range of academic and co-curricular programs. UC's commitment to providing excellent facilities and programs at UC Merced sends a powerful signal to potential students that Merced is an excellent academic choice.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: No Action Taken

As we stated in our 60-day and 6-month public assessment, our recommendation indicates that the university should amend its referral process to increase the likelihood that referred residents ultimately enroll. The university's response highlights actions that it took prior to the release of our audit report--actions that did not notably increase the enrollment rates of referred residents.

This recommendation will remain as no action taken until the university provides specific actions that it will implement to increase the enrollment of referred residents above the 1 to 2 percent rate experienced over the past four academic years.

6-Month Agency Response

The University shares the goal of finding means to increase the number of students currently admitted through the referral pool who ultimately enroll at UC—either at Merced or on other campuses. The University does not agree with the auditor's assessment that no action has been taken on this recommendation since the date of the auditor's report. As noted in our 60-day response, admission offers made in April-June 2016 had the effect of reducing the size of the referral pool (an even better outcome than increasing the yield of those admitted through referral) by 20 percent. .

Furthermore (and also noted in the 60-day response), in July 2016 the Regents of the University of California voted to approve the Merced 2020 plan—an extremely ambitious capital plan to build new academic, residential, and student services space that will greatly enhance Merced's desirability and its ability to offer a broader range of academic and co-curricular programs. These buildings will begin coming on line in 2018—well within the enrollment period of students enrolling in Fall 2016. UC's commitment to providing excellent facilities and programs at UC Merced sends a powerful signal to potential students that Merced is an excellent academic choice.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken

As we stated in our 60-day public assessment, our recommendation indicates that the university should amend its referral process to increase the likelihood that referred residents ultimately enroll. The university's response highlights actions that it took prior to the release of our audit report--actions that did not notably increase the enrollment rates of referred residents.

This recommendation will remain as no action taken until the university provides specific actions that it will implement to increase the enrollment of referred residents above the 1 to 2 percent rate experienced over the past four academic years.

60-Day Agency Response

The University shares the goal of finding means to increase the number of students currently admitted through the referral pool who ultimately enroll at UC. We already have programs in place to increase the enrollment rate of students admitted to UC Merced through this vehicle, including the campus's "Count Me In" campaign which targets referral students with information and encourages them to accept their referral pool offer. More important, UC Merced is embarking on an ambitious capital plan, Merced 2020, to build new academic, residential, and student services space that will greatly enhance Merced's desirability and its ability to offer a broader range of academic and co-curricular programs that attract the most talented California resident students. As a result, Merced will expand programs, hire new faculty, and increase enrollment over the next several years.

In addition, UC hopes that by increasing the number of students admitted to campuses they originally apply to, the number of students in the referral pool will decline. With increased State funding for enrollment, UC is adding 5,000 new California residents in Fall 2016. As a result, the proportion of California freshman applicants admitted to one of their campuses of choice has already increased from 56 percent to 63 percent and we expect the final admission rate for California residents to be even higher. We expect the number of students whose only offer of admission comes through referral to decline by several thousand.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken

Our recommendation indicates that the university should amend its referral process to increase the likelihood that referred residents ultimately enroll. The university's response highlights actions that it took prior to the release of our audit report--actions that did not notably increase the enrollment rates of referred residents.

This recommendation will remain as no action taken until the university provides specific actions that it will implement to increase the enrollment of referred residents above the 1 to 2 percent rate experienced over the past four academic years.

All Recommendations in 2015-107

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.