At the request of the chancellor and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dan Sharphorn and Wanda Mercer conducted an inquiry into questions that had arisen about possible undue influence from legislators on the admissions process at U.T. Austin. The initial focus was directed at admissions in the School of Law; however, the review was expanded to include undergraduate admissions.
The inquiry included interviews with key people in the School of Law admissions process, along with individuals in the U.T. Austin president's office and officials at U.T. System believed to have knowledge about the process. In addition, sample cases and data involving recommendation letters from Texas legislators related to both School of Law and undergraduate admissions were reviewed. Written responses to questions about the undergraduate admissions process were provided by the Office of Admissions.
