Texas Colleges Struggle to Boost Hispanic Numbers

Matriculation of blacks and whites is ahead of targets

AUSTIN (By La Monica and Everett-Haynes, Houston Chronicle) July 31, 2004 - Texas universities are falling behind on the state's goal to boost Hispanic enrollment even as the overall number of students on their campuses continues to grow.

Last fall, there were 291,959 Hispanic students at the state's colleges. The state's goal is to increase that number to 340,000 by fall 2004.

The push to boost the number of Latino college students in Texas came in 2000 after the release of census data showed Hispanics were the fastest-growing minority in the state.

At that time, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board set five, 10- and 15- year enrollment goals for Hispanics, blacks and whites.

So far, enrollment goals for black and white students have been met ahead of the 2004 target year. But state officials are still trying to boost the number of Hispanics enrolled in college.

''We think we're making progress, but we have some doubt and some concerns with the Hispanic students," said Daniel Gardner, assistant commissioner for Planning and Information Resources, on Thursday morning.

Since 2000, the number of Hispanic students attending public colleges and universities in Texas has increased by 55,000 — not nearly enough, several board members said. And besides getting more Latino students on campus, state officials said, more needs to be done to make sure they're successful.

"We have some dramatic improvements to make because it borders on the immoral to aggressively recruit students and not do anything to graduate them ASAP and ensure that they will go into the workforce or graduate school," said newly elected board Commissioner Raymund Paredes.

In 2004, 5,426 undergraduate degrees were awarded to Latinos. The state would like to see that number increase to nearly 8,000 by 2004.

Another overall state goal is to boost the overall number of doctoral degrees awarded. Officials would like that number to increase to 2,800 by 2004, up from 2,577 in 2004.

The state did make progress in some areas, including enrollment at community colleges, which increased by 88,000 students since 2000.