The State Board of Community Colleges voted today to change its long-held open door admissions policy, giving community colleges the authority to exclude potential students who pose a threat to the health or safety of other people on community college campuses.
Although the vote followed by a mere two weeks the recent shooting in Tucson, Arizona, involving a former community college student, board members denied any connection to the tragedy. According to policy committee chairman Stuart Fountain, the process for making the rule change began after an incident in which an unnamed community college admissions adviser was violently attacked by a prospective student.
Fountain refused to comment on specific mechanisms–such as criminal background checks, medical history, etc.–for determining whether or not a student was a threat.
The new policy is currently awaiting approval by the state rules review commission. Dr. Fountain expects the rule may take effect as early as the 2011 Fall semester.
