{"id":36627,"date":"2024-10-02T12:06:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=36627"},"modified":"2024-10-02T12:08:02","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:08:02","slug":"california-bans-legacy-admissions-for-stanford-other-private-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/02\/california-bans-legacy-admissions-for-stanford-other-private-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"California bans legacy admissions for Stanford, other private universities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/nanette-asimov\/\">Nanette Asimov<\/a>,Higher Education ReporterUpdated&nbsp;Sep 30, 2024 (SFChronicle.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6.png 960w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-6-225x150.png 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Stanford University, like other private colleges in California, would be barred from favoring relatives of donors under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday.Jessica Christian\/The Chronicle<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/feed?app_id=137086563877087&amp;link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2Flegacy-admissions-ban-ab1780-19795472.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dfacebook.com%26utm_medium%3Dreferral&amp;name=California%20bans%20legacy%20admissions%20for%20Stanford%2C%20other%20private%20universities&amp;description=Gov.%20Gavin%20Newsom%20signed%20a%20law%20barring%20California%E2%80%99s%20private%20colleges%20and%20universities...&amp;picture=https%3A%2F%2Fs.hdnux.com%2Fphotos%2F01%2F43%2F45%2F77%2F26107902%2F3%2FrawImage.jpg&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2Flegacy-admissions-ban-ab1780-19795472.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3DUTMSOURCE%26utm_medium%3DUTMMEDIUM\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2Flegacy-admissions-ban-ab1780-19795472.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dt.co%26utm_medium%3Dreferral&amp;text=California%20bans%20legacy%20admissions%20for%20Stanford%2C%20other%20private%20universities&amp;via=sfchronicle\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Your%20friend%20has%20shared%20a%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle%20link%20with%20you%3A&amp;body=California%20bans%20legacy%20admissions%20for%20Stanford%2C%20other%20private%20universities%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfchronicle.com%2Fpolitics%2Farticle%2Flegacy-admissions-ban-ab1780-19795472.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dshare-by-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%0A%0AGov.%20Gavin%20Newsom%20signed%20a%20law%20barring%20California%E2%80%99s%20private%20colleges%20and%20universities...%0A%0AThis%20message%20was%20sent%20via%20San%20Francisco%20Chronicle\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>California has become the second state to prohibit private colleges and universities from giving extra consideration to applicants who are related to alumni or donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1780\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"\">AB1780<\/a>, signed into law by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/gavinnewsom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"\">Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/a>&nbsp;on Monday, bans so-called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/california\/article\/legacy-admissions-fall-in-california-19549531.php\" class=\"\">legacy admissions<\/a>&nbsp;at private campuses that benefit from state funding, such as the Cal Grants used by thousands of students. Stanford University and the University of Southern California will be among the impacted campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,\u201d Newsom said in a statement. \u201cThe California Dream shouldn\u2019t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we\u2019re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/california\/article\/california-s-ban-legacy-admissions-means-19804603.php\" class=\"\">How will California\u2019s ban on legacy admissions affect students and colleges?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Maryland, which approved a similar ban this year, is the only other state to outlaw legacy&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/college-admissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"\">admissions<\/a>&nbsp;at private institutions. Virginia, Illinois and Colorado have banned legacy admissions at public universities only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of Sept. 1, 2025, private institutions in California will no longer be allowed to consider whether applicants are connected to alumni or donors when deciding to admit them. The penalty for violating the law is detailed disclosures related to the favoritism, without disclosing the admitted students\u2019 names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class&nbsp;\u2014 not the size of the check your family can write or who you\u2019re related to,\u201d said Assembly Member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, the bill\u2019s author, who has called legacy admissions \u201caffirmative action for the wealthiest Americans.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former first lady Michelle Obama referenced that idea in her speech at this summer\u2019s Democratic National Convention, noting that most people \u201cwill never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there\u2019s no state prohibition on such preferences at California\u2019s public campuses, the University of California and California State University have policies against them. Even so, a 2020 state audit found that UC Berkeley had admitted at least 55 underqualified students&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/education\/article\/Admissions-audit-finds-UC-improperly-admitted-15587005.php\" class=\"\">based on connections and donations<\/a>, sometimes with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/education\/article\/UC-Regent-Richard-Blum-named-in-admissions-15594754.php\" class=\"\">help of a regent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With hundreds of private colleges and universities in California&nbsp;\u2014 nonprofit and for-profit alike&nbsp;\u2014 it isn\u2019t immediately clear how many accept public money and would be subject to penalties if they give preferential treatment to alumni and donor relatives after the ban takes effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/california\/article\/legacy-admissions-fall-in-california-19549531.php\" class=\"\">Six private universities in California<\/a>&nbsp;reported this summer that they gave legacy admission preferences for the class that enrolled in fall 2023. Annual disclosures had been required for the past five years under another state law, also by Ting, that expired this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the six was Stanford, which admitted 295 children of alumni last fall, or 13.6% of freshmen&nbsp;\u2014 all of whom met admissions standards, the university said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stanford, asked to respond to the new law and whether university officials will comply, said only that \u201cthe legislation does not take effect until September 2025. During that time, Stanford will be continuing to review its admissions policies.\u201d<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/california\/article\/legacy-admissions-fall-in-california-19549531.php\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The University of Southern California reported giving preference to 1,791 alumni relatives in admission last fall, while Santa Clara University reported 38. Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd, both in Claremont (Los Angeles County), each admitted 15 legacies. Northeastern University Oakland, on the former Mills College campus, admitted fewer than 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics of AB1780, including the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, were able to soften the bill this year by eliminating what would have been hefty financial penalties on violators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, the penalty for practicing legacy preferences will be public exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schools will have to post details annually about who benefited from the preferential treatment, though without identifying individual students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The public will learn, in the aggregate, about the wealth of the students\u2019 families, their ethnicity, their county of residence and their athletic status. Those details&nbsp;\u2014 plus admission rates for legacy versus non-legacy students&nbsp;\u2014 will appear on the California Justice Department\u2019s website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anti-legacy efforts picked up steam after the U.S. Supreme Court made it illegal in 2023 for colleges to consider race or ethnicity in admissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStudents spoke up and California lawmakers listened,\u201d said Ryan Cieslikowski, a recent Stanford graduate and lead organizer for Class Action, a nonprofit that has been pushing for similar bans across the country. \u201cThis is a victory for aspiring students who can\u2019t rely on family connections and net-worth to get them into college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sophie Callcott, a legacy admit to Stanford who graduated this spring, has worked with Class Action for more than a year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so happy to see California take a step in what feels like the clearly and objectively right direction,\u201d Callcott said. \u201cOur state\u2019s wealth of exceptional colleges and universities shouldn\u2019t be gatekept behind a student\u2019s parent\u2019s privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jessie Ryan, president of the nonprofit Campaign for College Opportunity, said that legacy and donor preferences disproportionately disadvantage underrepresented minority applicants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn light of last year\u2019s Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions, we have had to double down on removing systemic barriers\u201d that prevent Black, Latino, Native and other students of color from accessing higher education, Ryan said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/projects\/2024\/kamala-harris-election-questions\/embed\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>She described two other higher education bills signed by&nbsp;Newsom&nbsp;as also beneficial to underrepresented students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>SB1348 establishes a \u201cBlack-Serving Institution\u201d designation in California to recognize colleges and universities that enroll transfer and graduate large numbers of Black students, as well as provide \u201ccomprehensive support.\u201d The bill was introduced by Sen. Steven Bradford,&nbsp;D-Gardena.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AB2057 streamlines the community college-to-university transfer process and prioritizes science, technology, engineering and math programs for transfer. The bill was authored by Assembly Member Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Reach Nanette Asimov: nasimov@sfchronicle.com; Threads: @NanetteAsimov<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sep 30, 2024|Updated&nbsp;Sep 30, 2024 12:05 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/author\/nanette-asimov\/\">Nanette Asimov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HIGHER EDUCATION REPORTER<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nanette covers California&#8217;s public universities &#8211; the University of California and California State University &#8211; as well as community colleges and private universities. She&#8217;s written about sexual misconduct at UC and Stanford, the precarious state of accreditation at City College of San Francisco, and what happens when the UC Berkeley student government discovers a gay rights opponent in its midst. She has exposed a private art college where students rack up massive levels of debt (one student&#8217;s topped $400k), and covered audits peering into UC finances, education lawsuits and countless student protests.<br><br>But writing about higher education also means getting a look at the brainy creations of students and faculty: Robotic suits that help paralyzed people walk. Online collections of folk songs going back hundreds of years. And innovations touching on everything from virtual reality to baseball.<br><br>Nanette is also covering the COVID-19 pandemic and served as health editor during the first six months of the crisis, which quickly ended her brief tenure as interim investigations editor.<br><br>Previously, Nanette covered K-12 education. Her stories led to changes in charter school laws, prompted a ban on Scientology in California public schools, and exposed cheating and censorship in testing.<br><br>A past president of the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Northern California chapter, Nanette has a master&#8217;s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a B.A. in sociology from Queens College. She speaks English and Spanish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By&nbsp;Nanette Asimov,Higher Education ReporterUpdated&nbsp;Sep 30, 2024 (SFChronicle.com) Stanford University, like other private colleges in California, would be barred from favoring relatives of donors under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday.Jessica Christian\/The Chronicle California has become the second state to prohibit private colleges and universities from giving extra&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/10\/02\/california-bans-legacy-admissions-for-stanford-other-private-universities\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36627"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36627"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36630,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36627\/revisions\/36630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}