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Volume 8 no. 1 PRESIDENT ATWELL OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION SAYS NEWS REPORT SHOWS CONTINUED NEED FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The enrollment of minority students at the nation's colleges and universities is increasing. However, minority students are less likely than other students to graduate, according to the American Council on Education's (ACE) Twelfth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education. In releasing the report, ACE President Robert H. Atwell voiced his concern about numerous proposals being debated on Capitol Hill that would seriously undermine and possibly even reverse the positive trends that ha ve occurred in recent years. Atwell noted, "I think that what is being considered on the Hill by way of affirmative action or student aid cuts could have a very devastating impact on these numbers when you consider the fact that half...[of all colle ge students] receive aid and an even higher proportion of the underrepresented minorities receive student aid. If you were to substantially reduce that, or as some have proposed even to eliminate it, you cannot even imagine what a disaster that would be ."
The report states that the two-decade trend of increased college enrollments among students of color continued between 1992 and 1993, but at slower rates. The largest gainers were Hispanics and Asian Americans who experienced a 3.9 percent and a 3.6 perc ent enrollment rise respectively. The African American gain was only 1.3 percent between 1992 and 1993, while American Indian enrollment increased 2 percent during the same time period.
In addition, minority students showed gains in the number of degrees conferred from 1991 to 1992. The minority gain in bachelor degrees was 11.4 percent, first-professional degrees 9.5 percent and associate degrees rose by 8.3 percent. Despite this encou raging trend, ACE expressed concern over the report's finding that African American, American Indian and Hispanic students are less likely to complete their schooling than white or Asian students. Only about one-third of African American students gain a baccalaureate degree within 6 years. The numbers for American Indians and Hispanics are 30 percent and 41 percent respectively. In contrast, 56 percent of white students and 63 percent of Asian Americans graduate within the same 6 year period.
Interestingly, the report found that these differences in school completion are largely due to socioeconomic differences among the students. Although African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students withdrew from college at higher rates than whit e or Asian American students, these differences disappeared when the research controlled for academic preparation and socioeconomic status.
To combat these realities, ACE recommends that institutions of higher learning utilize campus-wide strategies involving university administration, faculty, and students to address the environmental, academic, and financial issues that cause minority stude nts to leave college before graduation. Such strategies include, but are not limited to, financial aid, academic advising, and student support services. Most important, the report states, is the commitment of a college's board and president to the goal of reducing student attrition.
ACE also asserts that a university's commitment to retaining students of color should be reflected in its hiring and promotion of faculty and staff of color. Although the report found that the number of faculty of color employed on campuses across the na tion has been rising, the gains have occurred primarily among temporary lecturers and visiting staff rather than full-time faculty. For example, the overall tenure rate of minority faculty dropped 2 percentage points from 1981 to 1991 while white tenure rates rose by 2 percentage points. According to the report, favorable interactions with faculty is the most important determinant of a student's decision to remain in school.
In re-stating ACE's support for affirmative action, Atwell emphasized, "I think that one of the things that government does that is good is heighten our consciousness of an issue. In this case, one of the great issues in all of higher education is t he need to increase the participation and success of the underrepresented minority. I think that the special efforts represented by affirmative action at the governmental level have heightened the consciousness of the nation and of the university. So I think that affirmative action and the special efforts have played a really vital role in this."
The report, co-authored by Deborah J. Carter, Associate Director of the office of Minorities in Higher Education (OMHE), and ACE Senior Scholar Reginald Wilson, is available from the ACE by calling (202) 939-9365.
  
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