ARC 1916C
REGENTS BOARD[681]
Notice of Intended Action
Twenty-five interested persons, a governmental subdivision, an agency or association of 25 or more persons may demand an oral presentation hereon as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.4(1)“b.”
Notice is also given to the public that the Administrative Rules Review Committee may, on its own motion or on written request by any individual or group, review this proposed action under section 17A.8(6) at a regular or special meeting where the public or interested persons may be heard.
Pursuant to the authority of Iowa Code section 262.9(3), the Board of Regents hereby gives Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 1, “Admission Rules Common to the Three State Universities,” Iowa Administrative Code.
The rules in Chapter 1 set forth criteria for admission of undergraduate students directly from high school to the three Regent universities. The Regent Admission Index (RAI) was implemented with the entering freshman class of 2009. The RAI includes four factors: high school class rank, high school grade point average, performance on standardized tests (ACT composite or SAT combined), and the number of core subject area courses completed in high school. Since implementation in 2009, the number of public and private high schools in the state of Iowa not providing a high school class rank has increased from 3 to approximately 40. To address this change, each of the universities developed its own substitute for the missing factor, including a regression analysis, sliding scale or different weights for the remaining factors. After extensive data analysis, an alternative formula as presented in proposed Item 4 was developed to be used for applicants without high school class rank. In Item 3, the formula is stricken and a reformatted formula is inserted in lieu thereof; the substance of the formula is unchanged.
Any interested person may make written comments on the proposed amendments on or before April 7, 2015, addressed to Marcia Brunson, Board of Regents, State of Iowa, 11260 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa 50322-7905; fax (515)281-6420; or e-mail mbruns@iastate.edu.
A waiver provision is not included. The Board has adopted a uniform waiver rule, which may be found at 681—19.18(17A).
These amendments do not have any fiscal impact to the state of Iowa.
After analysis and review of this rule making, no impact on jobs has been found.
These amendments are intended to implement Iowa Code section 262.9(3).
The following amendments are proposed.
	Item 1. Amend 681—Chapter 1, preamble, as follows:
Preamble
Preamble: The state board of regents has adopted the following requirements governing admission of students to the three state universities.
Each university is expected to describe in its catalog the requirements and other information necessary to make the admission process operate within the framework of these requirements.
Amendments and changes in these requirements normally are proposed by the universities to the regent committee on educational relations, which examines the proposals and makes specific recommendations through the interinstitutional committee on educational coordination council of provosts to the state board of regents, which is empowered by law to establish the admission requirements.
The regent universities recognize that the traditional measures of academic performance do not adequately describe some students’ potential for success. Therefore, the regent universities strongly encourage all interested students to apply for admission. Applicants who feel their academic record is not an accurate reflection of their potential for success are encouraged to provide supplemental information explaining their circumstances, in addition to the application, academic transcripts, and test scores.
	Item 2. Amend subrule 1.1(1) as follows:
	1.1(1) Application. Applicants must submit a formal application for admission, together with the appropriate application fee as approved by the state board of regents pursuant to Iowa Code subsection 262.9(18)(3) and detailed in rule 681—1.7(262), and have their secondary school provide a transcript of their academic record, including credits and grades, rank in class (when available), and certification of graduation. Applicants must also submit SAT Reasoning Test or ACT scores. Applicants whose primary language is not English must also meet the English language proficiency requirement specified by each university. Applicants may be required to submit additional information or data to support their applications.
	Item 3. Amend subparagraph 1.1(2)“b”(1) as follows:
	(1)	Decisions on admission to a regent university are based on the following four factors: performance on standardized tests (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT); high school grade point average (GPA); high school percentile rank in class (when available); and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas. These factors are used in the following equation to calculate a regent admission index (RAI): A primary regent admission index (RAI) will be calculated for each freshman applicant using the formula below when the high school has provided a class rank.
RAI = (2 × ACT composite score) + (1 × high school rank expressed as a percentile) + (20 × high school grade point average) + (5 × number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas)

RAI	=	(2 × ACT composite score)	+	(1 × high school rank expressed as a percentile)	+	(20 × high school grade point average)	+	(5 × number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas)	
Note:  For purposes of calculating the primary regent admission index, the ACT composite score has a top value of 36 (SAT scores will be converted to ACT composite equivalents); high school rank is expressed as a percentile with 99 percent as the top value; high school GPA is expressed in a four-point scale; and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas is expressed in terms of years or fractions of years of study.
	Item 4. Amend subparagraph 1.1(2)“b”(2) as follows:
	(2)	Graduates of approved Iowa high schools who have the subject matter background required by each university and who meet the regent admission index of 245 required for automatic admission will be admitted to any regent university. Applicants who do not meet the regent admission index of 245 for automatic admission or for whom a regent admission index cannot be calculated may, after an individual review of their academic and test records, and at the discretion of the admissions officers:
	1.	Be admitted unconditionally,
	2.	Be admitted conditionally,
	3.	Be required to enroll for a tryout period during a preceding summer session, or
	4.	Be denied admission.
The regent universities recognize that the traditional measures of academic performance do not adequately describe some students’ potential for success. Therefore, the regent universities strongly encourage all interested students to apply for admission. Applicants who feel their academic record is not an accurate reflection of their potential for success are encouraged to provide supplemental information explaining their circumstances, in addition to the application, academic transcripts, and test scores.
An alternative regent admission index (RAI) will be calculated for each freshman applicant using the equation below when the high school has not provided a class rank.

RAI	=	(3 × ACT composite score)	+	(30 × high school grade point average)	+	(5 × number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas)	
Note: For purposes of calculating the alternative regent admission index, the ACT composite score has a top value of 36 (SAT scores will be converted to ACT composite equivalents); high school GPA is expressed on a four-point scale; and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas is expressed in terms of years or fractions of years of study.
Freshman applicants from Iowa high schools who have an RAI of at least 245 and who meet the minimum number of high school courses required by the regent universities will qualify for automatic admission to any of the three regent universities. Freshman applicants who have an RAI below 245 may also be admitted to a specific regent university; however, each regent university will review these applications on an individual basis, and admission decisions will be specific to each institution.