In the wake of allegations that financial donations influenced admissions decisions to an elite residency program, the UCLA School of Dentistry on Wednesday released details of new rules that are supposed to eliminate even the appearance of impropriety.
The changes, which went into effect for students admitted for next fall, require members of an admissions review committee to recuse themselves if they are related to, are close friends with or have a business association with a candidate or the candidate's family, officials said. Faculty members cannot serve on the panel if an immediate family member is being considered that year. Any potential conflict must be reviewed by another panel of faculty and staff.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, November 17, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 3 inches; 121 words Type of Material: Correction
Dental schools: A story in Wednesday's California section about an investigation into possible cheating by dentistry students at UCLA, USC and Loma Linda University incorrectly reported that the American Dental Assn. also was investigating students from New York University. The ADA says the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations does not have a pending investigation of students at the NYU School of Dentistry. Also, in a follow-up article on Thursday, New York University Executive Vice Dean Richard Vogel said that the initial Times article, reporting that the ADA was investigating NYU according to UCLA officials, was not accurate. His comments were erroneously left out of a shortened version in the Orange County Edition but appeared in other editions of The Times.
The regulations ban special consideration for applicants or students related to current or former donors to the school, a restriction that adds details to a UC systemwide policy adopted in 1998. In addition, the new dentistry rules forbid faculty or staff to seek donations from applicants, students or residents or their relatives or business partners.
A UCLA audit this year said investigators could not substantiate allegations that four close relatives of donors improperly landed spots in the highly coveted orthodontics residency program between 2002 and 2006. However, it reported that circumstances surrounding some decisions "create the perception that the integrity of the admissions process is being compromised for fundraising purposes."
The audit said that although there was no "convincing evidence" of wrongdoing, "circumstantial evidence indicates" that at least one person used influence in connection with one admission decision.
The dental school dean, No-Hee Park, said Wednesday the investigation provided "an opportunity to review our admissions policies and procedures."
"I am confident that the school will emerge from current challenges stronger and even more purposeful in its mission," added Park, who also Wednesday was dealing with reports that a national dental organization was investigating possible student cheating.
Details of the admissions controversy were first published by the Daily Bruin, the campus newspaper, Tuesday, setting off much discussion at the school. Critics allege that candidates were admitted to the orthodontics program after relatives pledged gifts as large as $1 million to the school.
UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block said the campus audit took into account the information in the Daily Bruin story, plus "a great deal more."
