[terry]

I'm somewhat surprised that people at Ca.l don't seem to believe there's a connection between their graduation rates and the academic quality of the guys they recruit. It seems to me that if they want more of their players to graduate, they should recruit better students. They say they want to improve graduation rates, but they keep recruiting nonqualifiers. I'm not sure they can have it both ways.

Outsiderfan suggests that Ca.l, as a public university, has an obligation to give an opportunity to marginal students. That's not how I understand the design of the California educational system. The California master plan for higher education generally says that the top 12.5% of high school graduates in the state are eligible for the UC system, the top 33% are eligible for the Ca.l State University system, and everyone is eligible for the community college system. So the UC schools do not have the mission of providing an opportunity to marginal students. That's what the community colleges are supposed to do. The UC system is supposed to educate the top students in the state. UC Berkeley is at the top of the UC system, and is supposed to educate the very best students in the state. I don't think it's really part of UC Berkeley's mission to provide an opportunity to marginal students.

[terry]

I'm somewhat surprised that people at Ca.l don't seem to believe there's a connection between their graduation rates and the academic quality of the guys they recruit. It seems to me that if they want more of their players to graduate, they should recruit better students. They say they want to improve graduation rates, but they keep recruiting nonqualifiers. I'm not sure they can have it both ways.

Outsiderfan suggests that Ca.l, as a public university, has an obligation to give an opportunity to marginal students. That's not how I understand the design of the California educational system. The California master plan for higher education generally says that the top 12.5% of high school graduates in the state are eligible for the UC system, the top 33% are eligible for the Ca.l State University system, and everyone is eligible for the community college system. So the UC schools do not have the mission of providing an opportunity to marginal students. That's what the community colleges are supposed to do. The UC system is supposed to educate the top students in the state. UC Berkeley is at the top of the UC system, and is supposed to educate the very best students in the state. I don't think it's really part of UC Berkeley's mission to provide an opportunity to marginal students.