Topeka ? Students would face tougher admission standards to attend a public university in Kansas under a task force proposal.

“If students come better prepared, there is a better chance of success,” said Gary Sherrer, who is chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents and chairman of the task force on college admissions.

Sherrer said the task force recommendations will probably be presented to the regents in December.

The final report hasn’t been put together yet, but Sherrer said it will include a requirement that high school students take a pre-college curriculum set by the regents.

And, he said, the task force will recommend that students take a fourth year of math instead of backing off of math like many high school seniors do.

Currently, all Kansas high school graduates can attend a state university if they meet one of three requirements:

• Score a 21 or better on the ACT.

• Rank in the top third of their class.

• Complete a pre-college curriculum set by the regents with at least a 2.0 grade-point average.

Sherrer said the proposal that college-bound students be required to take the pre-college curriculum, and pass it with at least a 2.0, would apply for admission to all public universities and would be the minimum to get in.

“That gets you into the game,” he said.

If the changes are approved by the regents, they couldn’t take effect for four years to allow students to prepare, he said.

“It’s not to exclude anyone, but it’s how can we better prepare people to be successful,” Sherrer said.

Universities can propose even tougher standards to bring to the regents. Kansas University is working on this.

Part of the regents’ new long-range plan, called Foresight 2020, is to increase retention and graduation rates. Experts say making admission standards tighter accomplishes this task by ensuring students are achieving at a higher level when they enter college.