The real world, as opposed to the world of editorial writers? imaginations, does not allow two contradictory facts to exist at the same time. But the Greensboro News-Record’s editorial on the UNC’s proposed minimum admission standard wants two inconsistent things to occur.
The News-Record agrees that low graduation rates (such as the 44 per cent rate at NC A & T State) stem partly from poor high school preparation. The author reports that only one-fourth of the students who have less than a C average actually graduate from college in six years. ?Less than a C average? How does that qualify anyone for college?? the writer rightly asks.
Requiring college entrants to meet a minimum admission standard (such as 2.0 grade point average in high school) would seem logical. But wait a minute. A standard would keep out some students, and this is unacceptable. “North Carolina needs to provide higher education for more students, not fewer,? says the editorial. ?Any plan to improve graduation rates that doesn’t also increase the total number of graduates is a fraud.”
What kind of magic is this writer waiting for?
