UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Fridav. November 5.1993
5
Fewer African Americans enrolling out of high school
By Carlos Tejada
Kansan staff writer
Numbers are not always what they seem to be.
this fall's enrollment data showed an increase of 0.9 percent in the number of African-American undergraduate students at the University of Kansas.
But a count of the number of African-American freshmen showed a continuing trend: Since 1985, African-American freshman enrollment has decreased by 30 percent.
The numbers, from the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, show that while the actual number of African Americans at KU is increasing, fewer new African-American students are enrolling each year.
Transfer students partially contribute to the overall increase. However, the increasing number of students who spend more than four years to earn a degree make the total number of African Americans at KU appear to be climbing.
The numbers may be part of state and national trends. Gary Watson, research analyst for the Kansas Board of Education, said the dropping number might be caused by the decreasing number of African-Americans who graduate from high school. He said 1,533 African Americans graduated from Kansas high schools last year, a drop from 1,841 in 1989. Such a drop, he said, would almost certainly lead to a drop in the number of African
Americans in Kansas who attend college.
The decrease also may have something to do with KU, said Joe Van Zandt, director of the advising support center. He said that KU did not always present a hospitable atmosphere for African-American students. He also said athletic programs
which bring in a significant number of African-American students might be bringing in fewer athletes because of NCAA academic eligibility rules.
But Van Zandt said neither he nor many others in higher education knew the answer for sure.
"This is a question that every admissions official in the country is trying to answer," he said.
Van Zandt said KU needed to try more aggressive recruiting practices to bring in African-American students.
Terry Bell, president of the Black Student Union, said the discrepancy between the increasing number of African-American students and the decreasing number of African-American freshmen showed that students were staying longer. Rather than bringing in more students, he said, the University was keeping them longer.
In fact, some students stay at KU for six years or more, said Bell, Tampa, Fla., senior.
Wes Williams, dean of educational services, said the numbers might be misleading. He said some of the freshmen might be second-year freshmen
Going down
The number of African-American freshmen has decreased 30 percent since 1985.
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
who did not have enough credit hours to become sophomores the year before. He said the number of true freshmen had risen slightly this year.
But Williams said the numbers did show a trend. He said high school did not prepare many African-American student for college-level work.
Van Zandt said the University was committed to solving the problem, but the obstacles were difficult to overcome.
Group aims to alleviate funding nightmare
By Carlos Tejad
Kansanstaffwriter
For international students, asking for money from Student Senate can be an intimidating experience.
"They feel like they're begging," said Nesli Isgoren, secretary-general of the International Council. "There are some who are very embarrassed about asking for money."
That discomfort is part of the larger problem of Senate funding for international groups, said Isgoren, Izmir, Turkey, sonhomore.
While group presidents feel uncomfortable asking for Senate money every year, senators see bill after bill from clubs that may all look alike to them.
"It's a big problem for the Senate," she said. "You see three or four clubs coming in every week asking for money."
In response, Igoren said the International Council was considering becoming the representative for international groups in the Senate. The Council, a four-year-old body that represents international students in University and legal matters, would accept all Senate funds for international groups. The money then would be divided by the members of the Council and the presidents of the international groups.
"We want to be under the Student Senate and to be the umbrella organization for the rest of the organizations," Isgoren said.
Rashed Haque, president of the Bangladesh Club, said he approved of the idea.
"It's hard for us to convince those people in the Senate," said Haque, Dhaka, Bangladesh, senior. "It's easier for us to discuss our problems with the council and then go to the Senate."
But Munish Malik, president of the KU Cultural India Club, said he had doubts. He said members of the council might be biased against a group and allot less money to it.
"I may not be as neutral as the Student Senate would be," said Malik, New Delhi, India, graduate student.
Last year, some senators suggested that all international clubs of Asian descent be grouped together. The idea was criticized and dropped, but this year some senators have expressed concern that the Senate might not have enough money to finance all the groups.
would like to recognize the following professors for their contributions to the students of the University of Kansas
Mortar Board
Outstanding Educators 1993
Dr. Sally Frost-Mason
Biological Sciences
Dr. Helmut Hvelsbergen
Germanic Languages& Literature
Dr. James Rowland
Electrical Computer Engineering
Dr. David Smith
Sociology
Dr. J. Michael Young
Philosophy
Scholars...chosen for leadership...united to serve
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