LSU sees record minority numbers

Advocate staff photo by HEATHER MCCLELLAND -- LSU students attend professor Steve Pomarico's 1201 Biology class, a first-semester class for science majors, on Thursday. Minority and freshman enrollment reached all-time highs this fall.

More black and Hispanic students enrolled at LSU this fall than at any other time in school history, an achievement the university credits to an expanded recruiting effort.

This fall’s black student enrollment of 3,054 students just barely eclipses the previous high of 3,035 set in 2002 but represents a 200-student increase over last year, according to LSU’s Office of Budget and Planning. LSU also saw Hispanic enrollment rise by 156 students this fall, increasing from 1,305 students compared with the previous high of 1,149 set last year.

LSU System President and Baton Rouge campus Chancellor William Jenkins framed those numbers in terms of expanding student access — one of the more popular concepts being discussed in higher education circles over the past several years.

“LSU is accomplishing the greater goal of reaching more of our state’s citizens,” Jenkins said.

David Kurpius, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management, said part of the minority gains can be attributed to LSU’s strategy to place a recruiter in New Orleans.

“She spent a lot of times in high-performing, high-minority schools,” Kurpius said. “And she’s really good at her job.”

LSU also expanded its recruiting base in Texas, making serious efforts in Dallas and Houston, Kurpius said. “So what we’ve done is get a group of new, energetic people together to help with our enrollment. We’re excited to see more gains next year,” Kurpius said.

Katrice Albert, vice provost of LSU’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Community Outreach, added in a statement that strengthening the intellectual environment partly through gains in cultural diversity is a significant component of LSU’s Flagship 2020 plan.

LSU’s increased minority enrollment also comes just a little over a year after the university awarded an honorary doctorate to the man who broke the school’s color barrier nearly 60 years ago. A.P. Tureaud Jr. enrolled at LSU in 1953 with the help of a court order but under intense community opposition.

Alexander Pierre Tureaud Jr. was an LSU student for less than two months before the university won a court appeal and kicked him out.

Although the decision was later overturned, Tureaud opted to attend Xavier University in New Orleans after enduring death threats from students and alienation from professors.

But his fight with the university in court opened the doors for black students to attend.

The end of that fight has given way to other struggles as colleges across Louisiana have maneuvered to adjust their strategies in an era of declining state revenues and the corresponding budget cuts that follow.

The state’s higher education master plan released last year specifically emphasizes Louisiana’s need to increase the educational attainment of adults to the Southern regional average by 2025.

In order to reach that mark, Louisiana must produce about 5 percent more bachelor’s degrees annually and 9 percent more associate degrees, certificates and diplomas.

LSU appears to be doing well in increasing access to minorities and to students overall. The minority student enrollment numbers come on the heels of an earlier announcement that the 5,725 freshmen who signed up for classes on the Baton Rouge campus this fall surpassed the previous high of 5,700 in 2004.

LSU’s total enrollment came in at 29,549 — a 2 percent increase over last year when LSU reported enrolling 28,985 students.

Comments

1) Comment by dashwood - 06/10/2012

The only ones who are making Baton Rouge look idiotic are those, like brwonk, who would like to close off discussion by those with whom he or she disagrees. (Is it really possible that anyone so opposed to free exchange of ideas would be pretentious enough to have “wonk” in his or her moniker?) Advocate--please ignore that silly request and continue to permit Advocate readers to express their views in the spirit of free discussion and debate.

2) Comment by brwonk - 06/10/2012

Advocate - please disable the comments section. It makes Baton Rouge look idiotic.

3) Comment by BTR_guy - 06/10/2012

@dashwood and all the others who question how LSU increased minority enrollments, all you had to do was READ the article. Improved recruiting is the answer. They put more recruiters in New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas, and that resulted in more students from those areas. It's not rocket science. @DMJ, you obviously missed the article which said that LSU had a record enrollment all around.

4) Comment by ScotB - 05/10/2012

Allow me to help clear this up. Enrollment at Southern University (a historically black college/university - HBCU) has declined from 9500 to about 6700 over the last several years, so a gain of 200 at LSU doesn't begin to make up the loss. Students read the paper (or at least watch TV) and realize that Southern has been having a number of issues of late and even at risk of losing accreditation at one point in addition to financial exigency. Southern at New Orleans has become famous for their 5% "6 year cohort" graduation rate. So, they register at LSU instead. No mystery here at all.

5) Comment by Chucky - 05/10/2012

May be you like these questions better DMJ, , Why is it harder for Blacks to get jobs after graduation? Does going to a predominantly White school have drawbacks for minority students ?, Do minority students have to put up with test geared for other ethnic students ? Are student loans harder for minority students to get loans ? I have a lot of questions on a lot of issues do not know all the answers.

6) Comment by DMJ - 05/10/2012

Right...you were just "asking questions." Our very own Glenn Beck, folks.

7) Comment by Chucky - 05/10/2012

I was just asking if White enrollment is down I will add, or is it to up ? Are other races up or down, other than Black and Hispanic ? If one more Black and Hispanic student than last year enrolled would we have a news article on it ?

8) Comment by dashwood - 05/10/2012

@DMJ. Oh please—let’s cut out the hyperventilation and manufactured outrage. I asked a question, the answer to which could have been positive, negative, or neutral. If LSU is increasing minority enrollment through active recruitment of minority students with strong academic credentials earned at high achieving schools, then the answer to my question would be positive, right? If that were the case, I would think that LSU would want to tout not just its success with increasing minority enrollment but also its success in maintaining or improving the academic credentials for minority students. But if LSU is increasing minority enrollment at the expense of academic quality—if LSU is increasing minority enrollment by admitting students who are not well prepared to succeed at LSU—then that raises another question. I was merely asking if LSU’s strategy for increasing the number of minority students was one that increased the academic preparation of incoming minority students, kept it the same, or diminished it. Oh, I forgot—no university would ever set aside academic standards to increase minority enrollment. I’m sure that LSU would never consider such a thing. How silly of me to even ask such a question.

9) Comment by Whatnow - 05/10/2012

@JohnRingaux, you comment is just awful! This is a wonderful article and congratulations should be extended to all students who attend college. It is an honor that they worked hard to attain. I congratulate all who worked so hard. Racist comments of any kind just show the lack of intellect of some people. If I had the money, I would gladly pay any student's way to further their education. If they use tax payer money for something so honorable, how can that be bad? It shows initiative and hunger for knowledge. No matter who or how they get there, it's a good thing, IMO.

10) Comment by pseudonymous - 05/10/2012

Wake up! We have a race problem at LSU... And evidence from this article indicates the problem may no longer lie with the institution itself as it may have in '53, but the populous who so ardently support it. Don't believe me? Stroll through campus during the day of any home football game and count the number of confederate flags bearing LSU colors... And that's just one example; these posts represent many more... The LSU racial phenomenon is but a microcosm of the much larger racial quagmire that is Baton Rouge... Wake Up. Acknowledge It. Chose To Exist In Spite Of It.

11) Comment by nimby? - 05/10/2012

when the wife and I enrolled at LSU in the late sixties most of those attending classes with us had never seen a real " indian " , we didn't quite fit their stereotype . the university has come a long way ...

12) Comment by Chucky - 05/10/2012

@DMJ- Well maybe not for Hispanic students or Asian. Heck, now you got something to call racist, and no, i believe all humane kind can show achievement and equal or superior ability no matter race or gender.

13) Comment by DMJ - 05/10/2012

Dashwood, do you still not realize how your "reasonable" questions might offend some people? You assume LSU had to lower standards so that more minority students could get in?? Just goes to show you....even in the year 2012, people see achievement by people of color and instead view it as achievement stolen from white people. Conservatives always tell us that success isn't a zero-sum game...until they consider the success of "other people." Their success wasn't earned; it was given to them, right? Disgusting.

14) Comment by beanie - 05/10/2012

@JohnRingaux...Why would you be so ignorant to think minorities don't have to pay taxes out of their paychecks like the rest of the people?

15) Comment by dashwood - 05/10/2012

In @lys and others we obviously have examples of those delusional race-baiters who casually and promiscuously throw out unfounded charges of racism at the mere mention of anything involving race. With my comment I was merely asking a reasonable question about what LSU had done to be able to do to reach its goal of increased minority enrollment. LSU has expressed a strong commitment to student retention and graduation rates, and these indicators are part of how the university is evaluated. If LSU has achieved its increase in minority enrollment by maintaining or improving the average quality of minority students, then that will contribute to LSU’s goal of increased student retention and higher graduation rates. If, on the other hand, LSU has sought to increase minority enrollment by admitting students with weaker academic credentials who will struggle academically, then these important goals of the university are placed in jeopardy and the increased minority enrollment is mere window dressing. @lys and others are incorrect in stating that all admitted LSU students meet the same set of minimum standards of admission. LSU retains the right to admit students who fall below those thresholds in order to achieve certain goals (e.g., admission of athletes, diversity, etc.). Not every Louisiana resident admitted to LSU is TOPS eligible.

16) Comment by DMJ - 05/10/2012

Yeah, when white people get in to college it's because they earned it, but when minority kids get in, it's because of a special government favor, right? I mean....surely, LSU had to lower standards so that minority students could meet them, right? There's no way black and hispanic students could possibly be as smart or capable as white kids, right? Do you racist yahoos really believe this stuff?

17) Comment by houtiger99 - 05/10/2012

All it takes is ignorance to ruin a positive article. ALL students, regardless of race or ethnic background, must meet the same admission requirements. As an African-American and proud graduate of LSU, I met the same requirements for admission. I graduated in 4-1/2 years with a high GPA and had a job in hand before I graduated. Before you make assumptions about the quality of the candidates and perceived special treatment, please take a step back and realize that all LSU students are treated equally and expected to follow the same admission requirements and tuition and scholarship guidelines. No one is giving out hand-outs. If so, I did NOT get mine! LOL.

18) Comment by Being_Stupid - 05/10/2012

I am a Minority-American, not an American.

19) Comment by Being_Stupid - 05/10/2012

Who decided that the color of somebody's skin or having descendants from some Spanish speaking country automatically makes them a minority? Like they are some kind of sub-form of American. Not a real American, but a Minority-American. They can't qualify without lowering the standards. They need training wheels on side of their bike. They need a step to reach the water fountain. They are too stupid to do it on their own because they have been classified a "minority".

20) Comment by tball - 05/10/2012

Yes, LSU and others set standards, but there are ways to circumvent the standards. Lets track the graduation % in four years!!!!

21) Comment by Straight Shooter - 05/10/2012

Kudos to LSU. Before I attended LSU, I grew up in a small town with very few minorities. It was not until I made my way to LSU that I realized that I was blind to other cultures and held back by unjustified prejudices. While there were less minorities on campus than there are today, my interaction with minorities completely changed my perspective for the better. I would not have gained the success that I have today with wasting time on prejuding other people. Nothing in the article suggests that these minorities are less academically qualified than their peers. It simply shows that LSU is recruiting students who can diversify a traditionally non-diverse university. All students benefit from this education experience as they prepare to enter a workforce that is diverse. I'm proud of my school.

22) Comment by Chucky - 05/10/2012

@lys- I just knew that someone would use the word "racist" when legitimate questions are asked. When you get cut off in traffic do you yell RACIST ? Stop the name calling, answering the question was enough.

23) Comment by lys - 05/10/2012

I knew the Baton Rouge racist would come out for this one. First of all LSU has admissions standards, and secondly most of the minority students attend school the same way most white students attend LSU...with taxpayer funded TOPS.

24) Comment by dashwood - 05/10/2012

One question is whether this increase in minority enrollment has been achieved without a reduction in the quality of the academic credentials of admitted minority students. If LSU is maintaining or improving the academic preparation and credentials of its minority student body, that is great news. If the increased numbers of minority students has come at the expense of reduced academic credentials, then the increase is just window dressing. What has happened to the mean ACT scores, the mean high school GPA, and the quality of high schools attended by admitted minority students. Have these benchmarks improved, gotten worse, or stayed the same?

25) Comment by Chucky - 05/10/2012

Does that mean less white white students than last year ?

26) Comment by JohnRingaux - 05/10/2012

So, who's paying for this record number of minority students? Is this something else the 53% of us who pay taxes will be on the hook for for the rest of our lives? What ever happened to the idea of accepting the best students, based on their high school records, instead of recruiting based on skin color?