An editorial in this space last week urged the Illinois Board of Higher Education to go ahead with its original plans to upgrade the admissions standards of state universities. The IBHE had been balking at finally putting into effect its newly-proposed requirements of four years of high school English, three years each of social studies, math and science and two years of a foreign language, art or music.

The IBHE is to decide at its meeting next month whether the new requirements will be mandatory or simply advisory in power for the 10 state universities. But now, NIU is the party balking at stronger admissions standards.

NIU Admissions Director Dan Oborn said this week that if the IBHE makes the new standards only advisory, the university probably would not go along with the recommendations. Oborn reasoned that current NIU requirements (which are one year less than the IBHE proposal in each academic category) allow greater flexibility for high school students’ class schedules, and that more room now is left for students to take courses other than just college-prep.

But to reiterate the point made in last week’s editorial, high school students need the prodding of these proposed requirements in order to maintain the adherence of state schools to their purpose—education. Too much time is wasted in colleges teaching students the rudimentary skills they should have picked up in high school.

To be sure, this is a problem that originates earlier than the secondary level, and efforts to reverse the problem should begin at the roots. But high school students headed for college should be prepared for college.

John Huther, IBHE deputy director for fiscal affairs, said the board’s proposed requirements are actually at the minimum level desired. If the IBHE’s suggestions are the least they should be, then NIU should, at the very least, accept them.