An intellectual rift is breaking up the IU-Bloomington community: administrators, faculty members, trustees, parents and students. Major players on all sides are in disagreement, arguing about raising admission standards -- an idea that could critically change IU's future. \nIU has always been in the precarious position of being both University of Michigan and Michigan State University or Ohio University and Ohio State University. We have had to bear both responsibilities: leading Indiana economically with research and educating students.\nIn his recent appearance at the Rotary Club, IU President Adam Herbert said raising admission standards (so we could boost our national rankings) is an important priority for IU. In addition, new trustee Thomas Reilly has a history of advocating elitism for Indiana universities. In his report to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, he recommended specializing each college in Indiana, raising admission standards and promoting graduate and research programs instead of baccalaureate education.\nOn the other side, IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis -- IU's second-in-command -- said elitism is not the way to go. He argued IU has a wonderful reputation of taking those not expected to graduate and making them successful. Last year, IU graduated 71 percent of the original class of 2005, when only 59 percent were predicted to graduate, as determined by SAT scores, grade point average, etc. We agree with Gros Louis that those people who succeed despite expectations are usually the people who do great things in life.\nThe state needs a major public university -- like IU -- to provide education to all that qualify. \nSome argue community colleges and other universities could pick up the slack if IU became more elite. Unfortunately, no other college in Indiana offers such a variety of majors as IU. You can come here and discover what you want to do. Unfortunately, there's no way other universities could quickly adapt to add the academic diversity we provide. If IU doesn't provide the role of a major state university, then nobody in Indiana will.\nIU shouldn't dumb down students' education. We should still have rigorous courses and high standards, but we shouldn't deny students opportunities. We can easily boost our national rankings simply by being more selective, but we have to ask ourselves: at what cost? \n

DISSENT: Plug up the Hoosier brain drain

\nIU has an obligation to serve Indiana residents, but raising the University's admissions standards would be far from a disservice to Hoosiers. If fewer and better qualified undergraduates were admitted to the University, it would be able to better cater to students' interests as individuals. With the rise of prestige that would accompany a rise in admission standards, both IUB and the state would attract and retain more elite, out-of-state students, researchers, and faculty members in a variety of fields. \nStudents often remain residents of their college towns after graduation. Instead of being a victim to the brain drain, a more elite IUB could recruit talented scholars and turn them into a talented workforce, which would in turn improve Indiana's economy and education system. Instead of disregarding the weight rankings held over students' and parents' college decisions, IU should take advantage of its own strengths on such rankings to attract the best and the brightest. \nIt's true that some Hoosiers will not be able to attend a more elite IUB. Indiana residents will benefit, however, from the eventual economic improvements brought about by a reverse brain drain. Ivy Tech, Indiana State University and other Indiana state schools must position themselves to serve the broader base of students IUB has accommodated in the past. With improvement in Hoosiers' economic status, all parties involved will benefit from IU's increase in status. IUB already acts as Indiana's think-tank. It's time our University stepped up to the national plate.