3.4.3: The institution publishes admissions policies consistent with its mission.  Narrative: The University of Texas (UT) at Arlington publishes admissions policies that are consistent with its mission. The UT Arlington’s admissions policies are: (a) created by faculty, (b) consistent with the institution’s mission [1] and (c) in alignment with House Bill 1641 as passed by the Texas Legislature. [2]. UT Arlington’s mission statement emphasizes that UT Arlington is to advance the economic, social and cultural welfare of North Texans by fostering an environment that instills and supports curiosity, rigorous inquiry, advancement of knowledge and the pursuit of excellence. Undergraduate admission counselors reach out to a broad cross-section of Texas residents by participating in recruiting visits to high schools, community colleges and college preview days. Applicants from these diverse efforts are considered for admission in accordance with admission requirements that are reviewed and approved by faculty serving on the Undergraduate and Graduate Assemblies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Provost and UT System before implementation. Undergraduate Admission:  Undergraduate admission requirements are published in the Undergraduate Catalog [3]    and on the Undergraduate Admissions website. [4] The Undergraduate Admissions website also houses policy information on undergraduate freshmen, [5] transfer, [6] transient [7] and international [8] students. Evidence that recruitment materials accurately represent UT Arlington can be seen in its recruitment publications. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] Texas Education Code, Section 51.803, requires that undergraduate applicants graduating in the top 10% of their high school senior class be admitted to public universities. [25] This law is intended to enable students from a variety of backgrounds, regions and socioeconomic conditions to pursue higher education. Students who do not meet this requirement are considered for unconditional admission based on a combination of grades and test scores that allows strength in one of these measures to compensate for weakness in the other. Applications from students failing to meet unconditional admission requirements are given individual consideration where socio-economic, geographic, linguistic, extracurricular and community activities and commitment to a discipline are weighed holistically.  Texas Education Code, Section 51.931, states that a resident of Texas may apply for admission to the University as an undergraduate student without consideration of course credit or grades earned 10 or more years prior to the semester the applicant plans to enroll. [26] To be admitted under the Academic Fresh Start statute, the applicant must meet the admissions standards in effect at the time of application. Students admitted under this option may not receive credit for any course work taken 10 or more years prior to enrollment. Graduate Admission: Graduate admission criteria are also in compliance with the mission of the University. All graduate programs perform a holistic evaluation involving multiple criteria as required by HB 1641 legislation. [2] The Graduate School organizes and participates in on-and off-campus recruiting events, helping programs identify and manage communication with United States and International prospects. General admission and program specific requirements are published in paper and online catalogs [27] and on the Graduate Admissions website. [28] Applicants who have earned baccalaureate degrees under the Academic Fresh Start statute and who apply for admission to a postgraduate or professional program will be evaluated on only the grade-point average of the course of work completed for that baccalaureate degree and the other criteria stated herein for admission to the postgraduate or professional program. Acceptance of Qualified Students: Undergraduate and Graduate Assemblies: The identification of qualified students who have the ability to successfully complete a program of study is pursued via a multi-faceted approach. The process of evaluating admission requirements is governed by the UT Arlington Undergraduate and Graduate Assemblies. Undergraduate Assembly By-Laws charge the Academic Standards Committee with making recommendations to the Undergraduate Assembly regarding policies concerning admissions, academic progress, deficiency or probation and graduation requirements. [29] A proposal to change admission standards at the University level can originate with a faculty member, departmental faculty body, a dean, the Provost or President. In addition, any academic unit can also propose an admission requirement(s) to its degree program(s), which can be higher than the University admission standard. The Academic Standards Committee determines if an academic unit admission standard is appropriate. A recommendation is then presented to the Undergraduate Assembly. [30] As evidenced by Graduate Assembly minutes, UT Arlington’s Graduate Assembly makes recommendations regarding admission policies. [31] The Graduate Assembly has Guidelines for Graduate Assembly Review of Graduate Degree Programs and Certificates to help facilitate the process. [32]  Program Reviews:  Another facet of ensuring the appropriateness of admission requirements in identifying qualified students who have the ability to successfully complete the program, is provided by interpreting data that is generated for Academic Program Reviews. Such reviews provide the venue for a department to evaluate program strengths and weaknesses. The Academic Program Review encompasses a section on ‘Student Profiles,’ which provides a history of the program including average standardized test scores for each segment of a program. [33] As evidenced by the Linguistics 2002-2003 Program Review, the Program Review Team can make suggestions regarding a program’s admission policies. [34]  State Performance Indicators:  State performance indicators of success, such as graduation rates, address retention and ultimately the graduation of students from the University, and are seen as a measure of the appropriateness of admission standards. In the spirit of accountability and improvement, UT Arlington established the Graduation Rate Task Force to: (a) determine how to increase graduation rates, (b) promote institutional commitment to student success policies and (c) develop methods for supporting student achievement. The Graduation Rates Task Force document contains several recommendations that are pertinent to institutional commitment to ensuring the success of the students admitted to the University. [35] For example, the recommendation to review the readmission process for dismissed students is one that lends itself well to the identification of appropriate requirements for determining qualified students who have the ability to successfully complete a program of study.    Gateway Program:  Other supporting evidence of UT Arlington’s effort to identify students who have the ability to successfully complete a program is the UT Arlington Gateway Advantage Program, a joint admissions and advising program that is directly tied to University admission requirements. [36] This program is for students who do not meet the standard admission requirements, but are given the opportunity to enroll in a highly structured environment. Intrusive advising and enrollment in EDUC 1302 (Learning Frameworks) are designed to supplement and guide students’ first-semester academic experiences at UT Arlington.