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NEW YORK (AP) — Three New York colleges have agreed not to ask applicants about arrests that haven't led to a conviction.
But they'll continue to ask applicants if they've been convicted of a felony. That question appears on the common application used by over 500 colleges and universities.
The state attorney general's office reached the agreement with St. John's University and Five Towns College and Dowling College, both on Long Island.
The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1nJ6J0f ) says the Center for Community Alternatives had raised concerns the question amounted to a form of unintended discrimination.
The agreement says criminal history may be used to disqualify applicants only if a conviction indicates the applicant poses a threat to public safety or property. Another situation would be if the conviction was relevant to some aspect of the academic program.
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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
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