Minority enrollment concerns discussed

By SEAN SADRI
Aggie News Writer

May 05, 2003 - Dwindling outreach budgets and consistent underrepresentation at UC campuses have become a common concern for minority groups around the state.

As part of La Raza Cultural Days, the Chicano/Latino Alumni Association held a panel discussion on Thursday night to address these worries.

The event, titled ìThe Three Rs ó Recruitment, Retention and Representation of the Chicano/Latino Campus Community,î discussed means of relieving the pressures afflicting the Chicano and Latino student community.

Recruitment of Chicano and Latino students is an important issue because ó even though the raw number of students has gone up ó the percentage of enrollment for Chicano and Latino students is going down, according Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Yvonne Marsh.

ìThe Chicano/Latino community must face the challenges brought upon them by the governor,î said Marsh. ìIn January, Governor Gray Davis released a proposal to cut funding for outreach programs, such as [the Early Academic Outreach Program], [Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement], Puenta ó by 50 percent to reduce the large state deficit.î

Student panelist Mary Vasquez, a fifth-year senior, said she felt that the Chicano/Latino population, which makes up 11.2 percent of UCD students, was much too small to be properly represented on campus. She felt that recruitment, another big issue brought up in the panel discussion, was needed not only for undergraduates.

ìWe need to focus our energy on getting Chicanos and Latinos to apply for graduate programs,î Vasquez said in response to the recruitment issue. ìAfter getting accepted to San Jose State University and the University of Arizona for graduate school, I feel I have taken a big step in showing that we are here and that we can succeed.î

Panelist Joel Gutierrez, a junior, said that by increasing the number of Chicano/Latino fraternities, sororities and clubs on campus the students can expect a higher retention rate for these students.

ìWe as a community need to get together and stay united to conquer issues,î Gutierrez said.

Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor of the office of campus community relations, felt there was need to ìrespect the value of diversity, and redefine diversity on the UCD campus.î

Reed described a meeting of the vice chancellors on June 6 to discuss upcoming budgets cuts to decrease the state deficit.

ìUnfortunately, some of the first things to get cut are programs that promote diversity,î said Reed. ìIt is time to improve our campus climate. Tolerance of other races should be moving toward respect, appreciation and celebration of other races. It is time to think outside the box if we want to build a society of inclusion.î

Sophomore Benjamin Lopez Jr. said he attended the panel discussion to get ìbetter acquainted with the ways and feelings of the Chicano community.î

ìI feel we are not being properly represented on campus and I need to know what I can do to help change this,î he added.