Campus more diverse after rise in minority enrollement
Chancellor Michael Ferrari’s push to enroll more minorities has had some success. The number of black and Hispanic students have increased slightly.
By Bethany McCormack
Skiff Staff

One of the first steps Michael Ferrari took as chancellor was to focus attention on diversity. Four years later, some progress has been made.Ray Brown, dean of admissions, said that in the past few years the number of minority applications has increased, but the number of minority enrollments has not increased as much as the university would like.

In fall 2001 the number of minority applications increased from 787 to 1,030 and nearly 18 percent of students accepted were minority students, the Skiff reported last spring. However, only 13 percent of the freshman class in 2001 was made up of minority students. Numbers for fall 2002 were not available.

Brown said one reason fewer minority students enroll at the university than are accepted is a because student’s choice of a college is often influenced by societal patterns.

“It’s hard to change patterns ... ,” he said. “The way this evolves is people with parents who did not go to college will usually go to a community college or regional state institute. When we have all these initiatives for enhancing diversity, what we are trying to affect is a generational leap.”

The number of minority students in the freshman class increased between 1998 and 2001. In 1998, eight percent of the freshman class were minorities while by 2001 the figure had jumped to 13 percent. The undergraduate population was composed of 12 percent minorities in 1998 and 13 percent in 2001.

Some minority groups increased in number from 1998 to 2001. In 1998, the black student population was 4.2 percent, while in 2001 4.9 percent were black. In 1998 5.2 percent of the student body was Hispanic and in 2001 5.6 percent were Hispanic. Also, the number of white students at TCU decreased from 78.2 percent in 1998 to 77.5 percent in 2001.

Cornell Thomas, special assistant to the chancellor for diversity and community, said the idea of increasing diversity focuses on much more than race.

“We want to make TCU a mini-representation of the world,” he said. “It’s about people with different backgrounds, from different regions or different religions.”

One way the university has attempted to address diversity is through the Chancellor’s Council on Diversity, which was introduced three months after Ferrari became chancellor in 1998.

The diversity council consists of students, faculty and staff who develop strategies and work toward increasing diversity and inclusiveness at TCU and the surrounding community, said Thomas, who is also chairman of the council.

Thomas said one of the biggest successes of the council has been the Community Scholars Program, which provides scholarship opportunities to students at six schools in the Fort Worth area that have low application rates.

Brown said the Community Scholars Program is largely responsible for the increase in the number of applications from minority students.

“It’s one of the more bold attempts to do something about diversity that I’ve come across,” Brown said. “Virtually everyone in higher education is talking about diversity, but not a lot is done. I think Ferrari got fed up and said ‘lets do something about it.’ ”

Thomas said the program has already helped change some peoples’ opinions of TCU.

“TCU is now seen as an option for many students who didn’t see it as an option before,” he said. “In the minority communities TCU was seen as a white, elitist university. With the Community Scholars Program, we provide some scholarships, and even when students don’t get scholarships, a number still come to TCU.”

Carmen Castro, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, came to TCU through the Community Scholars Program and now serves as a member of the diversity council.

Castro said she experienced some culture shock after coming to TCU from a predominately Hispanic high school, but said she soon felt at ease.

“I came in hearing ... that it’s an all Greek school and not many minorities,” she said. “I learned that you have to get out of your comfort zone and reach out to people that you might not otherwise acquaint with.”

The diversity council established an annual Conference on Inclusiveness for students, faculty and staff in 1999. This year’s conference will be Sept. 27. The Inclusiveness Task Force, a student-led group that aims to unite the various minority organizations, formed from the fall 2001 conference.

ITF member Abby Crawford, a junior political science and speech communication major, said her involvement with ITF has helped her realize the need for more inclusiveness on campus.

“I’m a member of a social sorority and I’m a (resident adviser) but I’ve gotten much more diverse relationships working with ITF,” she said. “The members of the team are mainly minority students so it’s been a huge learning experience for me. I’ve gotten to meet and become friends with people that I treasure so much.”

Thomas said he is optimistic about continued diversity at TCU, even after Chancellor Ferrari’s departure.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “But there are a lot of people on this campus who know the importance of preparing our students for a diverse world ... I just know that the next chancellor will want to continue and enhance the work that we’re trying to do.”