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Diversity
Initiatives . . .
For more than three decades, the state of Tennessee has
operated under the provisions of a federal court order that
mandates the termination and remediation of all elements
of de jure segregation in its public colleges and universities.
During this period, considerable resources have been expended
to comply with this order and there has significant progress
to change the landscape of higher education for the citizens
of Tennessee.
This
progress is epitomized by the significant increases in college
participation rates for African American students. From
1993 to fall 2003, overall headcount enrollment in Tennessee
increased 1.3 percent, from 193,342 students to 195,881.
While overall enrollment remained relatively constant during
this period, significant increases in African American enrollment
were evidenced across both two and four year institutions.
From 1993-2003, African American enrollment increased 27.4
percent, from 28,424 students in 1993 to 36,266 students
by fall 2003. During this same period, several institutions
experienced dramatic growth for this demographic group.
In particular, African American headcount enrollment increased
62 percent at the University of Memphis, 91.1 percent at
the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and 90.3 percent
at Nashville State Technical Community College. Across all
institutions, each experienced positive increases with respect
to enrollment of African American students. In fact, much
of the overall enrollment growth during this period was
driven by the increased participation rates of African American
students.
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When examining enrollment patterns
over a broader timeframe, this impact is especially
pronounced at institutions such as the University
of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC). In 1984, UTC's overall
headcount enrollment stood at 7,474, of which 11.5
percent were African Americans. By fall 2003, UTC's
overall enrollment had increased to 8,528, representing
an increase of 14.1 percent. However, the enrollment
of African Americans increased 87.3 percent during
this period. In 1984, 858 African Americans were enrolled
at UTC, while in fall 2003 1,607 (19 percent of overall
enrollment) were enrolled at the institution. Similar
increases are evident upon examination of the numerical
diversity of entering freshman across Tennessee public
higher education. In 1984, African Americans comprised
15.8 percent of first-time, full-time freshman enrolled
in this state. By Fall 2003, this percentage had increased
to 18 percent.
Another area
of emphasis in Tennessee that has enjoyed steady progress
during this period is persistence to graduation rates.
For the 1985 entering freshman cohort, the overall persistence
to graduation rate at public four-year colleges and
universities was 43.1 percent. When examining this cohort
by race, the persistence rate for white students was
46.8 percent, while the rate for African Americans was
24.0 percent. Thus, for the first cohort of students
enrolled after the 1984
Stipulation of Settlement Agreement, significant
differences existed between African American and Caucasian
persistence rates. For the 1997 cohort, the statewide
average persistence to graduation rate improved to 48.7
percent. When examining the 1997 cohort by race, 43.7
percent of African American freshman graduated within
six years, compared to 50.1 percent of their white peers.
Although the persistence rates for African Americans
remains below their other race peers, this demographic
group experienced a 19 percent increase over the course
of the cycle, compared to a three percent increase for
Caucasian students.
The
educational products provided by higher education to
the citizens of Tennessee have become increasingly important
as economic and social changes have placed greater emphasis
upon the receipt of a college degree as a medium of
social mobility. This movement will only continue as
the state's economy shifts in the information age from
the historical focus on physical capital to an emphasis
on human capital. Because of the growing importance
of human capital, it is critical that all sectors of
society have access to the benefits that accrue from
the receipt of a baccalaureate degree. Successful diversity
initiatives will be critical in coming decades if the
state is to move forward in the 21st century. As Tennessee
becomes increasingly multicultural, the need for colleges
and universities to prepare students for an increasingly
diverse workforce will be magnified exponentially. The
future of Tennessee is directly linked to the presence
of an educated population that can contribute to the
labor force, the economy, and society as a whole.
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