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The
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VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 3
September 20, 2024
State legislation banning legacy UMW hosts 2024 admissions in Virginia goes into effect presidential debate watch party
CARLOS NUNES Staff Writer
On July 1, Virginia became the second state in the nation to ban legacy admissions at public universities with the passage of House Bill 48. This legislation prohibits preferential treatment for applicants with alumni or donor connections. According to Director of First-Year Admissions Sarah Lindberg, UMW does not use legacy status as a determining factor in the admissions process. “Legacy status is not a determining factor in admission to UMW,” she said. “Our first priority when reviewing students for admission is to ensure that they are an academic fit for our institution and they will be able to successfully complete their degree.” There is still a question on UMW’s application for admission that asks if applicants are connected to the university via immediate or extended family, but the question is optional and not part of the review process, according to Lindberg. The legacy admissions ban primarily affects Virginia’s highly selective public institutions like the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary. Some institutions of similar exclusivity, like Virginia Tech, had already ceased legacy preferences before the legislation’s enactment.
“Applying and getting into colleges is an accomplishment in itself and every student should have equal opportunity.” - Shadwick Yoder Critics of preferential treatment for legacy students have long argued that they unfairly favor those from affluent backgrounds, often at the expense of deserving candidates from underrepresented communities. “Applying and getting into colleges is an accomplishment in itself and every student should have equal opportunity,” said senior political science major and UMW Office of Admissions employee Shadwick Yoder. “While legacy admissions at UMW is not as massive as other Virginia public colleges, it is still something that should be blocked across the board to help create as much opportunity for students as possible.” The bill passed the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate unanimously with bipartisan support. U.S.
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alumna returns to lecture on psychology
ALANAH MULLER Staff Writer
Legacy status is not considered as a factor in first-year admissions at UMW. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer
On Sept. 10, the University of Mary Washington Political Science Department held a watch party for the first 2024 presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The event was hosted by Professor of Political Science and Department Chair Rosalyn Cooperman and Assistant Professor of Political Science Jared McDonald. Both professors are teaching first-year seminars this semester, with Cooperman teaching U.S. Campaigns and Elections and McDonald teaching Political Polarization.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, celebrated the legacy admis“For first-year students, I think it’s sions ban, as did Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Repubimportant for them to get a sense of lican, who signed the bill into law. “We’re happy to see Virginia make this move,” said just how engaged our campus is in Kaine in a joint statement with U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R- politics at all levels of government, IN) following the enactment of the legislation. “Now let’s build off this success and get our bill passed to end legacy and how important it is for them to and donor admissions preferences nationwide. This will add their voices to the conversation.” promote upward mobility and fairness in the admissions process.” - Jared McDonald Virginia Del. Dan Helmer (D-10) introduced the legislation in December 2023 and Youngkin signed it into law “It made a lot of sense to organize something around the four months later on March 8, 2024. first (and maybe only) debate between Trump and Harris,” “Virginians across the political spectrum want a uni- said McDonald. “For first-year students, I think it’s importversity system that admits students based on who they ant for them to get a sense of just how engaged our campus is are and what they’ve done, not who their parents are, in politics at all levels of government, and how important it and with Governor Youngkin signing this bill, that has is for them to add their voices to the conversation. We owe become the law of the land in Virginia,” said Helmer in a a huge debt to our FSEM peer mentors, Sarah Tyree-Herstatement to ABC 8 NEWS. mann and Martina Pugh, for organizing the event.” For future applicants, this shift means admissions deAt 8:30 p.m., Cooperman and McDonald gave an opening cisions will be based solely on merit, including academic introduction, followed by a discussion and a brief question performance, extracurricular involvement and personal and answer period. This gave attendees time to ask quesachievement. This change is intended to create new op- tions about the debate, as both McDonald and Cooperman portunities for students from all socio-economic back- have Ph.D.s in political science from Vanderbilt Universigrounds particularly those without legacy or donor con- ty and in government and politics from the University of nections, who can now compete on a more level playing Maryland, College Park, respectively. field. “My expertise is in two main areas - U.S. political parties “A legacy ban on public institutions is long overdue and gender and political candidacy,” Cooperman said. “I and something that I hope private universities will con- study how Democratic and Republican parties attract and sider soon as well. Speaking as a legacy student whose support political candidates, especially women. I also study mother attended Mary Washington, I do not think con- the campaign finance of women candidates.” nections such as family alumni or donors should impact the decision on an individual student,” said Yoder. SEE DEBATE, PAGE 2
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