2014 Student-Athlete Admissions Compliance statement

We understand that you recently requested a copy of the 2014 Student-Athlete Admissions Compliance Investigation Report. As you review the report, we thought you might find it helpful to have some additional information concerning the actions the University took after the report was issued and an overview of the current admissions process for recruited student athletes.

On average, UCLA has approximately 700 student-athletes on 25 teams enrolled in classes each year. The 2014 report primarily focused on two specific admissions issues that occurred in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years. It also looked at donations by families of student-athletes in the tennis program.

As a result of the findings in the report, UCLA took disciplinary actions against certain personnel for violations of policy. Additional policies, procedures and staff training to ensure compliance with all UC and UCLA Athletic admissions policies were also adopted. These included:

 Placing a moratorium on any solicitation of a donation or donation from the family of a prospective student-athlete, or any person or entity acting on behalf of the family, until the student has enrolled;

 Requiring the athletic department to perform an athletic qualification check for walk-ons;

 Implementing a roster management system to require coaches to present all roster decisions to their sport supervisors, with a secondary check completed by the Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women Administrator, as another measure to confirm that student-athletes remain on the roster for one year; and

 Implementing a review of all donations to the university made by the families of recruited nonscholarship student-athletes.

Additionally, Athletic department staff were educated about the policies, and supplementary education of the coaching and development staffs also took place regarding the prohibition of any discussion of donations prior to admission.

Today, UCLA follows a multi-step evaluation process for prospective student-athletes. The process begins when a coach identifies a prospective student-athlete who they determine has the athletic abilities to compete at UCLA and submits the prospect’s name and other information to athletic administration officials.

Each prospect must then submit academic records (e.g., standardized test scores, transcripts of course work completed, courses in progress) to the Athletic Department. These records are reviewed by a group of athletic administration officials to ensure the prospect has complied (or is on target to comply) with applicable University and NCAA requirements and meet the standards set by the Student Athlete Admissions Committee (SAAC). Additional reviews of prospective student-athletes who will not be offered athletics aid for their first year of UCLA enrollment are conducted, including checking their athletic qualifications and their family’s giving history with UCLA to ensure that the students are qualified athletes and that the decision is not motivated by family donations.

If satisfied, athletic administration officials present candidates to the SAAC. Coaches and athletics officials do not have a vote in admission decisions. No prospective student-athlete will be offered admission, or be given any verbal indication of likely admission, prior to review and admission approval by the SAAC.

If you have any additional questions about the 2014 report, please contact Tod Tamberg, senior executive director of media relations at UCLA. He can be reached at 310-825-0680 or via email at [email protected].