San Francisco
The University of California at Berkeley plans to enroll 12 percent fewer Latino freshmen this fall than last, an effect blamed partly on its revenue-generating move to more than double the number of students it admits from outside California.
The drop in Latinos, California's fastest-growing group, was believed to be due in part to Berkeley's shift toward nonresident students, who pay much higher tuition and are overwhelmingly white or Asian. About 23 percent of next year's freshman class is expected to come from out of state, a sea change for a campus that enrolled only 11 percent of those students a year ago.
In a news conference on Wednesday, Berkeley's chancellor, Robert J. Birgeneau, said that the drop in Latino students was not as disproportionate as it may seem, citing a large number of Latinos who were admitted with this fall's class but will enroll in the spring. He also said the inclusion of Latino transfer students would make the decline much less significant.
Berkeley's numbers were part of the University of California system's release on Wednesday of a tally of the students who said they intended to enroll at one of its nine undergraduate campuses in the fall. In contrast to Berkeley, the number of Latino students rose steadily systemwide, including increases on six of the eight other undergraduate campuses. The proportion of white students systemwide dropped to a record-low 27 percent.
Freshman-admission numbers at the University of California are closely watched in the state as a key indicator of whether the state's prized public universities are serving its diverse population. The flagship campuses, in Berkeley and in Los Angeles, have struggled to enroll significant numbers of black and Latino students, constrained by budget cuts and a state ban on affirmative action in admissions.
In other areas, Berkeley and other campuses had more success attracting underrepresented minority students. Berkeley managed to keep its number of black students fairly steady, averting a fear among some faculty members that their numbers would drop. San Diego expects a slight increase in black students — from 1.3 percent to 1.7 percent of the freshman class — despite highly publicized incidents of racial tension this year.
Comments
1. 22286593 - July 14, 2010 at 04:26 pm
Penny wise, pound foolish. The education of California Latino students today will define California in the future. To reduce their enrollment now so that Berkeley will have $1.9 billion annual revenue instead of $1.8 billion is horribly short-sighted. More than the money, the message it sends to Latino students in light of what is taking place in Arizona and Washington D.C. is nothing less than tragic.
2. your_rights - July 14, 2010 at 07:25 pm
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3. honore - July 15, 2010 at 08:33 am
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4. fireflygirl - July 15, 2010 at 07:11 pm
I REALLY don't like this statement: "The flagship campuses, in Berkeley and in Los Angeles, have struggled to enroll significant numbers of black and Latino students, constrained by budget cuts and a state ban on affirmative action in admissions."
ExCUSE me?! They're "constrained" in enrolling black and Latino students because of budget cuts and a state ban on affirmative action in admissions?! This statement insinuates that the vast majority of black and Latino students getting into Berkley and Los Angeles got there not on MERIT and PERFORMANCE, but simply because the schools needed to fill a quota of "ethnic" students. That is NOT a legitimate REASON for enrolling students. That is where the problem arises with most affirmative action laws: they create a complete double standard. EVERYONE should get into or be rejected from college admissions for what they have done academically and professionally; NOT for what color their skin is.
5. jruck20 - July 16, 2010 at 12:23 am
Did we forget so easily and so quickly why affirmative action was created? Its amazing how convenient it is for you anti-affirmative action folks to talk trash about affirmative action when it comes to your benefit. Don't forget about the history of this country where federal and state government enacted laws created inequality specifically for blacks (i.e. Jim Crow - separate but equal?). This was only just abolished in the mid 60's. But you're right....a 300 year head start is equal to a 40 year affirmative action plan.
Affirmative action was put into place to level the playing fields that were so skewed in one direction for hundreds of years. Now everyone's up in arms over a program that was in effect for roughly 30 years in California before it was voted down by ignorant and racist voters in 1996. But according to you ignorant/racist people out there the playing field is now equal with regards to wealth inheritance, educational resources, employment resources, loan equality, etc.