<p>"Chicago State has the worst graduation rate of any public four-year university in Illinois and one of the worst in the nation, with just 13 percent of students finishing in six years…</p>
<p>If we want better outcomes in higher education, we need to hold dropout factories like Chicago State accountable in the same way the Obama administration proposes to hold underperforming high schools accountable: transform them—or shut them down. "</p>
<p>“He questioned the university’s decision to admit students with ACT scores as low as 15.”</p>
<p>This seems unreasonable, considering that there are public colleges/universities where the AVERAGE ACT score for admitted students is 16. (I do think a study is warranted to determine characteristics of students who are successful at Chicago State. Clearly the current admission parameters aren’t working.)</p>
<p>Yes, there is a place in the world for public universities without strict admissions. The big issue is whether the public should continue to fund those students if they don’t try or don’t even show up.</p>
<p>A lot of the issues at CSU were the result of policies of the previous administration. The new president is, from news reports I’ve read, making some progress in cleaning up the mess and raising the standards. Given the population it serves, it’s clearly never going to be a top-tier university, but the situation may not be hopeless.</p>