Minority
enrollment remains steady at state universities Minority
enrollment remains steady at state universities
By Jennifer Peltz Staff Writer
September 7, 2002
Replacing affirmative action with broader recruitment efforts has made little change so far in the racial diversity of Florida's public university system, according to figures released Friday. About 36 percent of new students throughout Florida's 11 public universities are minorities -- virtually the same percentage as in 1999, before Gov. Jeb Bush stopped the universities from weighing race and ethnicity in admission decisions.
Instead, Bush pushed initiatives that he said would do more to achieve diversity, and more equitably: college-prep programs, recruitment efforts and an admission guarantee for the top 20 percent of high-school students. Indeed, the number of minority freshmen in the university system has risen almost 20 percent since 1999. But that barely keeps pace with overall freshman enrollment, so the racial makeup remains essentially the same.
The biggest change has been in the percentage of black students, which has dropped from 17.6 to 16.2. Also, the increase is considerably smaller than in years before Bush's changes, known as One Florida. Minority freshman enrollment jumped annually by 850 to 1,200 students between 1997 and 2000, when One Florida took effect. This year, the corps of minority freshmen grew by less than 725 students.
But the student body is growing noticeably more diverse at Boca Raton-based Florida Atlantic University. The proportion of FAU freshmen who are minorities has risen from about 31 percent in 1999 to 38 percent this year, according to the new figures. FAU may owe some of its minority enrollment growth simply to the growing diversity of South Florida. "If you're throwing a broad net over a more diverse population, then you are going to be pulling in more people of more diverse characteristics," said spokeswoman Lynn Laurenti.
At Florida International University, based in Miami-Dade County, the percentage of freshmen who are minorities has dropped slightly under One Florida -- but still accounts for more than three-quarters of the first-year class. With two months to go before Bush faces his first election since making the controversial move to end race-based admissions, he painted the new figures as proof that One Florida didn't hurt campus diversity.
"The critics said the world would come to an end, that there would be dramatic drops in the number of minority students attending our university system," Bush said Friday. "What I said was there would be more African-American and Hispanic students attending our university system. Promise made, promise kept." But some legislators still are wary of One Florida, which ignited a sit-in by two black legislators at Bush's office and a march on Tallahassee in 2000.
"I don't think [with respect to diversity] we should shoot for the status quo," said state Sen. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, one of the legislators at the sit-in. "The effects of One Florida are going to be judged in the long run and not the short run, and I think that it's inappropriate to even try to take the victory lap prematurely."
The Bush administration released the new numbers Friday with a tone of victory, especially concerning the flagship University of Florida. After enrolling fewer black freshman last year than in more than five years, UF regained some ground this year after stepping up high-school recruitment efforts. This year's freshman class includes 659 black students, compared to 460 last year -- and 829 in 2000.
Florida correspondent Scott Powers and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jennifer Peltz can be reached at jpeltz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6636.
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