A discussion this week about qualified admissions at state universities prompted a rather stunning statement from a member of the Kansas Board of Regents.

While expressing her concern that the three university admissions criteria for Kansas high school graduates may be too low, Regent Robba Moran acknowledged, “This is the first time in the four years I’ve been on the board that I realized the third step is only a 2.0 GPA.”

We hope Moran is the only regent in that situation, but the fact that even one regent apparently lacks such basic knowledge of the state university admissions requirements is amazing.

Qualified admissions have been in effect in Kansas for more than a decade. To gain automatic admission to one of the state’s six universities, Kansas high school graduates must score at least 21 on the ACT exam or 980 on the SAT, graduate in the top third of their class or complete a pre-college high school curriculum and graduate with a 2.0 GPA.

It’s not like these standards haven’t been discussed by the regents since Moran was appointed to the board in 2011. For instance, they had to be part of the discussion in 2012, when the regents approved some new, higher qualified admissions standards for Kansas University.

The possibility of raising the state’s qualified admissions standards is a good discussion for the Board of Regents to have. KU sought higher standards because it was trying to boost its retention rate and the number of students who complete degrees in four years — two factors that contribute to the university’s national rankings. Admitting poorly prepared students to the state’s six universities wastes vital resources for the universities, as well as for students and their families.

Maybe, in the context of the discussion, Moran’s statement wasn’t as alarming as it sounds, but her apparent lack of knowledge about an important university issue doesn’t inspire much confidence in the board responsible for overseeing higher education in Kansas.