Safety concerns at North Carolina’s community colleges have recently driven a new education proposal that could limit open admission.
The policy, drafted by the N.C. State Board of Community Colleges, would allow colleges to deny admission to applicants who pose a substantial health or safety risk to the schools.
College officials said there is no specific incident that triggered the proposal, but added that with a higher number of students enrolling each year, safety issues are always a concern.
If approved, the proposal will be enacted by February 2011, and will give colleges power to “refuse admission to an applicant when there is an articulable, imminent and significant threat to the applicant or other individuals,” according to the proposal.
“This provides the tools to colleges to balance the concept of safety with open admissions,” said Megen Hoenk, director of marketing and external affairs for the North Carolina Community College System.
Under the current proposal, college officials would not have to tell students why they are denied admission. The proposal also does not specify if there is an appeal process.
Before it is approved, however, the proposal will be discussed at a public hearing Nov. 15 during which community members can suggest changes, Hoenk said.
“Given that the policy will be enacted so quickly, it seems as though they are trying to rush it through and they don’t plan to take the public comment seriously and make amendments,” said Sarah Preston, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. “We are planning to submit comments during the public comment period and we will talk to community colleges.”
The proposal also does not specify whether officials need to consult with health experts before denying students admission.
“Because there are no clear definitions and because it is written so vaguely it doesn’t lay out clear standards,” Preston said. “It could be used in a very arbitrary way. This doesn’t get at health and safety unless you have a psychiatrist and a doctor looking at each individual case.”
On a national scale, the proposal generally differs from recent conversations on higher education. At the Oct. 5 White House Summit on Community Colleges, President Barack Obama emphasized “an education system that harnesses the talent and hard work of every single American.”
“If it’s a rule used to target specific groups, that’s discrimination,” Preston said. “The vagueness could lead to violation of due process.”
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