Author: By Patricia Wen, Globe Staff

Date: SATURDAY, November 7, 1998

Page: B1

Section: Metro

While several schools cited in the report denied any violations, Higher Education Chancellor Stanley Z. Koplik vowed to impose stiff financial penalties on schools failing to meet the standards.

"We are not in the business of making policy and ignoring implementation," he said. "The policy is made for a purpose."

The report from Auditor Joseph DeNucci looked at whether four-year undergraduate campuses complied with tougher admission standards that began in fall 1997. The audit reflected a random sample of 10 percent of each college's entering class that fall.

The report also investigated whether the schools followed rules on remedial education. After many campuses were found to be educating many undergraduates still struggling with high school-level reading and math, the state Board of Higher Education adopted standards in 1995 to shift remedial assistance to community colleges and upgrade the quality of four-year institutions.

Fitchburg State College, Westfield State College, and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams were cited for violating the 15 percent cap on the number of "special admissions" students admitted.

Special admissions students, who are admitted based on potential, are defined as those who fail to meet set grade-point and academic criteria for the schools. They also do not fit into other specialized categories, such as admission programs for the learning disabled or vocational-technical students.

The Lowell and Dartmouth campuses of the University of Massachusetts also were cited for violating the special admissions limit. These two campuses, as well as UMass-Boston, were cited for violating the state mandate that no more than 10 percent of freshman could be enrolled in remedial reading, writing, and math courses.

The auditor's office said it was scheduling an audit of UMass-Amherst.

Salem State College was cited for violations in a previous audit, and was excluded from yesterday's report.

While some schools took issue with the final numbers in the auditor's report, Bob Powilatis, deputy state auditor, said everything is based on documents and records. "When we say a report is official, we stand by it," he said.

Fitchburg State was the biggest violator of the special admissions cap, accepting 24 percent of such students, according to the auditor's report. The school's own figures showed 15 percent.

Fitchburg State spokesman Michael Shanley said he believes some "honest mistakes" created the perception that the school violated the limit. He said some students were admitted under a program to help those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. He said the auditor took issue with the school's failure to classify these students as "special admissions."

Shanley said his school needs to serve the community and also work to raise academic levels. "We've spent a lot of money to raise standards, but it's not going to happen overnight," he said. "We can't abandon our communities."

Christine McKenna, spokeswoman for UMass-Lowell, said she is shocked that the auditor's final report shows the campus violating the special admissions cap. She said the auditor's office had at one point told the school it was in compliance.

McKenna said the school, however, does not dispute the auditor's calculation that it violated the remedial education limitation. The auditor found that 20 percent of the freshman class was enrolled in remedial courses.

At Westfield State, James Stakenas, executive assistant to the president, said a data-reporting error explains why the auditor found the school in violation of the special admissions cap. He said he is confident his college ultimately will not be penalized.

The penalties for colleges out of compliance could be hefty, if the sanctions Koplik plans to propose to the Board of Higher Education are approved.

Koplik said offending schools could lose state appropriation funds for every freshman admitted who does not meet the new standards. He said schools get about $2,500 in state funds for each student.

He said he also will propose to bar any school from applying for performance-improvement grants if it is found in violation of the standards. He said the state's undergraduate campuses get anywhere from $50,000 to $400,000 in such grant money.

% of special

School admission students

Fitchburg State 24%

Westfield State 20%

Univ. of Mass-Lowell 18%

Univ. of Mass-Dartmouth 16%

Mass. College of Liberal Arts 16%

Worcester State College 15%

Mass. Maritime Academy 15%

Framingham State 13%

Univ. of Mass-Boston 13%

Bridgewater State 13%

Mass. College of Art 9%

The University of Massachusetts-Amherst is being audited separately and Salem State College has previously been cited for being out of compliance.

SOURCE: State auditor's office

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