(photo credit: Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune)

The ongoing University of Illinois scandal over favoritism in admissions and hiring has claimed its latest victim -- Chair of the U of I Board of Trustees Niranjan Shah, who recently resigned his post after one year.

Sadly, Shah was the only Asian American Chair of Trustees or Regents, etc. that I know of in the entire country.  (Please post a comment with others that you might know of.) This made him, perhaps, the most powerful Asian American in U.S. higher education. 

The University of Illinois system is in trouble right now for doing what many other universities (public and private) do -- giving preferences and favors to well connected applicants.  Example: Bush II was a legacy and well-connected at Exeter, Yale, and Harvard.  Yes folks... SHOCK! Our universities never started out as institutions of meritocracy, and if you think that, you can call yourself Pollyanna! In fact, legacies have been found to be more likely to be admitted even with lower scores.

The fact that a Chicago Tribune expose has sparked protests over these centuries old practices is very intriguing. Perhaps change in these practices that privilege the connected and wealthy will start in Illinois and spread across the country.  One can hope.