Higher educations officials are concerned about the slow rate of enrollment growth in colleges and universities around the state, especially among Hispanic students.
While the University said it is trying to decrease enrollment, it is actively recruiting students from parts of the state with high populations of blacks and Hispanics.
At a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board meeting Thursday, a new goal of 1.6 million students was made to reflect population growth in Texas, said Ray Grasshoff, board spokesman.
The "Closing the Gaps by 2015" plan, approved in 2000 by the state-created board, was initially aimed at bolstering college enrollment from 1 million students to 1.5 million students.
In past years, overall college enrollment in the state has increased by as much as 30,000 to 60,000 students per year. This year, enrollment rose by about 19,000 students, or about 1.6 percent. The state's aim is to have blacks, Hispanics and whites enroll in college at the same rate.
Growth by blacks was on track, while white student growth exceeded projections. Hispanic enrollment grew by about 11,000 students, half of what the board had predicted.
At any rate, the state is far from reaching its overall goal of enrolling 5.7 percent of the state's population in higher education, Grasshoff said.
"If we want to maintain and improve the state's economic situation, we need to have a well-trained workforce and the Hispanic population will account for that," Grasshoff said.
Statewide figures showed the problem was greatest in South Texas, where Hispanic population growth is greatest, but college enrollment has remained stagnant. The University also reflects some statewide patterns.
This fall's student enrollment decreased by 1.3 percent from last year. During the fall 2004 semester, 50,377 students were enrolled in the University. This fall, enrollment reached 49,696. Maryann Ruddock, associate vice president and director of institutional research, said the decrease was intentional and reflects the University's goal to reduce enrollment to 48,000 students over the next five years.
During that same period, Hispanic enrollment at UT rose by 4.3 percent, from 6,727 students to 7,013 students. Augustine Garza, deputy director of admissions, said that the University does not have a set goal for the number of Hispanic students it wants to have enrolled.
"Our number of Hispanic students is increasing and has increased for the last nine years," Garza said. "So we're seeing greater numbers of Hispanic students applying and gaining admission and enrolling."
From 1997 to 2005, the number of incoming Hispanic freshmen increased from 892 students to 1,248.
Garza said he sees room for improvement in the Hispanic representation on campus, but says that the University admits students based on merit.
"We find ourselves with more qualified students who are Anglo than qualified students who are Hispanics," Garza said, adding that steps must be made in secondary schools to correct the disparity by reducing drop out rates and better informing students about higher education and financial aid opportunities.
Garza said that the top 10 percent rule has greatly contributed to the steady increase in minority population over the last nine years. University outreach programs have also helped. He said UT has identified more than 70 "Longhorn Opportunity" high schools, which have a high number of Hispanics and other minority groups, and has stepped up recruitment efforts in these schools.
Garza said currently enrolled minority students often send a positive message to others by returning home and speaking about their experiences at UT.
"I feel there was a big push to get me here because of my ethnicity but after that, they kind of forgot about me," said Cris Rubio, co-director of campus activities for the Latino Leadership Council and a mathematics senior.
Rubio feels the environment on campus has become more welcoming for Latino students in the last few years, but that the University could increase retention by hiring more Latino faculty members and better funding Latino student organizations.
"Working as a Latino leader, I'm viewed only as a Latino leader and not as a campus leader, as opposed to as if I was in a traditional white organization," Rubio said.
The LLC helps to attract Latino students by translating recruitment information into Spanish for parents and holding leadership summits in which they invite high school students to visit the University, Rubio said.
Grasshoff said that the state board is unsure of the reasons for the slower than projected growth. He said that a recovering economy in many regions of the state had led to some students taking jobs rather than pursuing college. Rising tuition and fees and the high cost of gasoline are also likely factors.
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