Texas A and M University - Aggieland Yearbook (College Station, TX)

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Administration pushes for increase Minority Enrollment By Lee Schexnaider Minority enrollment increased in 1987- 1988, but overall numbers were still low and the University turned to several pro¬ grams designed to attract more minority students. A M Associate Provost Jerry Gaston said the number of minority students in the graduate and undergraduate programs has increased. “Last fall (1986) we had 175 new black students,” he said. “This fall (1987) we have 268, which is a 53 percent increase. In the Hispanic category we also have a 53 percent increase, but the numbers are dif¬ ferent — 397 for last fall and 608 for this fall.” To help boost those numbers, A M start¬ ed a program to help minority students pre¬ pare for college while still in high school. The University Outreach Centers encour¬ aged minority high school students to take classes that would help them get into col¬ lege. And the Office of Student Relations ap¬ pointed recruiters who were to be perma¬ nently located in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. “The idea is they would be available as recruiters particular¬ ly in the public schools in the highly popu¬ lated areas,” he said. “And consequently they can work with school counselors to get the students to apply themselves toward higher education in the first place, and Tex¬ as A M is the second.” The program is a joint venture between A M and the Uni¬ versity of Texas. Lynn Brown, associate di¬ rector of the Office of School Relations for A M said the purpose of the centers is to contact potentially good academic black and Hispanic students. “Avery large percent of what would prob¬ ably be qualified students don’t take courses necessary to be able to go to col¬ lege,” he said. Sallie Sheppard, associate provost for the University Honors Program and under¬ graduate studies, says many of the minor¬ ities haven’t taken the right classes. “They come here and have a rough time or can’t get in. We want to talk to them while they are young and tell them they can go to (colleges like) A M or UT. Also in 1987-1988, the University formed the Multicultural Services Center to help students already at A M. Kevin Carreathers, the center’s coordinator, said a centralized office for minority students was needed. “The best thing we do is provide an initial contact that the students can have to find out about everything else that takes place on campus,” Carreathers said. “Someone has mentioned that it is a home away from home for minority students.” IS ' .- ' ►

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Above: A study in contrast. Bruce Babin, senior me¬ chanical engineering major, and Stacey Douglass, ju¬ nior agricultural economics major, go over class notes together. Left: Veronica Stewart, a freshman from La¬ redo, provides an alternative to the usual coed style. Friends, calling them¬ selves the “Super Tuesday Lunch Bunch,” gather in front of the Academic Building every Tuesday at noon to enjoy lunch. Features 27

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Left: A student rides across cam¬ pus by the married student apart¬ ments. Approximately 2.2 per¬ cent of the student body was | comprised of permanent resident Asian students. Far left: Aggie 5 fans celebrate A M’s victory oc over the University of Texas. Above: John Saenz, senior animal science major, uses a model of a molecule to study for a chemistry quiz. Left: A company comes to attention before a pregame march-in. Features 29