University of Illinois chancellor Richard Herman says he believed admitting politically connected students to the Urbana-Champaign campus would be good for the university, and that’s why he did it. That’s what he said yesterday before a state panel charged with investigating admissions at U of I. Commissioner Maribeth Vander Weele asked him to clarify.

VANDER WEELE: How would this benefit the university?

HERMAN: Well, in the sense that we are looked upon as being responsive.

VANDER WEELE: By donors? By legislators? By the governor’s office?

HERMAN: I suppose the answer to that would be yes.

Herman told the commission that he now believes the university’s practice of admitting students based on clout should be scrapped. Herman suggested that a committee review all special requests to admit students.

848: Education Expert Explains Unjust Practices Behind College Admissions
Related: U of I Chancellor Details Clout Admissions