Johnathan Lott's column on the need to increase the quality of education at UF is well-intentioned but terribly misguided. First, Florida Opportunity Scholars are held to the same admission standards as other UF students. So to suggest that there is a "lack of any notable academic qualifications" is to suggest that not only are the scholarship recipients underqualified, but that the rest of UF students are undeserving of admissions as well. Immediately after, he suggested that this program is risky because some of the money will be wasted on students who "can't handle UF."
The fact is that 96 percent of Florida Opportunity Scholars return after their freshman year, compared to 94 percent for other UF students. Furthermore, 65 percent of those students had a 3.0 GPA or better. While I agree that UF's reputation and educational quality must be improved, the problem does not reside with academic merits of the students.
We should focus on developing innovative curriculum that stimulates and engages students. We also need to consider a faculty member's merit as an educator and mentor equal to his or her ability to publish or bring in grant money. Not recognizing a student's academic achievements in overcoming the obstacles of growing up in a working class household is more than just inconsiderate, it's morally despicable.
