There is no need to panic. UTM students, contrary to the story on the front page of this newspaper, are no less intelligent than those of the past.

There is, however, cause for concern that the university has lost one of its storied bragging points. Even though the number of enrolled students has been on the upswing, their ACT scores have been as well. That trend has reversed.

We are the first to admit that ACT scores are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to measuring academic merit. However, they are one of many indicators used to determine whether or not a new student will grace the halls of UTM.

The benchmark for gaining entrance as a first-time freshman into UTM is a composite score of 20 or above on the American College Test (ACT) and a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.40 or above on a 4.0 scale, or a composite score of 17 or above on the ACT and a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale.

We firmly believe that your entrance requirements reflect the quality of your academic programs. While not outstanding, these requirements are right in line with what most area colleges require of first time students. Nevertheless, the message we send to the rest of the country is that UTM is the allegorical “discount carrier” of higher education.

Why not capitalize on the sudden influx of applications and overall interest in UTM by raising the academic bar? Much like our athletic programs, an impressive performance on and off the field attracts the people it takes to get to the next level. Not raising the bar breeds more of the same.