Alumni Fight Grambling Admissions Standards
Student retention rates could improve under new standards, Louisiana officials say.
By Scott Dyer
BATON ROUGE, La.
Plans to impose new admissions standards for Grambling State University freshmen are being challenged in a federal lawsuit that claims the change may threaten the mission of the historically Black university.
The lawsuit, filed by the Grambling University National Alumni Association, a host of other alumni, students and former employees, claims that state officials are not acting in the best interests of Grambling by requiring incoming freshmen to complete certain college-prep courses in high school.
In an interview, alumni association president James Bradford said Grambling had traditionally maintained an open admissions policy that fit into its historic mission of educating poor Black students.
Noting that Grambling’s enrollment is declining, Bradford warned that the increased admissions standards may drive away many Black students. He also fears that Grambling will become more attractive
to non-Blacks, potentially changing the character of the university.
The lawsuit targets Grambling President Horace Judson, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, University of Louisiana System President Sally Clausen and the Louisiana Board of Regents.
In addition to challenging the admissions standards, the lawsuit lists 42 other allegations that range from “engaging in scare tactics to intimidate university employees” to creating an atmosphere of instability that is reflected by constant turnover at the top – Grambling has had six presidents since 1991.
