Historically black colleges and universities the University System of Maryland have increased efforts to diversify their student bodies, reflecting the nationwide changes in the traditional makeup of these institutions.
For the system’s three HBCUs – Bowie State University, Coppin State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore – desegregation has been a natural action to draw in more students in light of competition from traditionally white institutions, officials said.
“I’ve heard of some predominantly white institutions making a more concerted effort to go into areas that they don’t normally go into [for recruitment],” said Tyrone Young, director of admissions and recruitment at UMES. “It’s just good business practices to keep up with the trends, at least remain competitive.”
These universities are attracting non-black students by promoting programs unique to HBCUs, such as the hospitality management program offered at UMES. The exclusivity of such programs is ensured by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the duplication of programs already established at HBCUs, established in an effort to draw students to the traditionally black schools.
According to the University System of Maryland’s fall 2006 enrollment report, the number of students enrolled in its institutions reached a record high this semester. However, there were slight declines in enrollment at both Bowie State and Coppin State, with drops of 1 percent and 5 percent in enrollment, respectively. Many officials attribute enrollment declines to historically white institutions drawing black students away from HBCUs, prompting officials to expand enrollment initiatives, especially for Hispanic students.
Although this university’s enrollment dropped by 1 percent this semester as well, the number of black students graduating has been on the rise. According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, a publication that reports on higher education trends, this university ranks seventh among traditionally white universities in the number of graduating black undergraduate students.
Previously titled Black Issues in Higher Education, the publication changed its name for reasons similar to those HBCU officials cite for recruiting non-black students.
“That’s kind of the way things are going in higher education: People are trying to attract more diverse populations, and that’s what we’re trying to do as well,” said Hilary Hurd Anyaso, editor of Diverse.
For more than a century, HBCUs have been at the forefront of African American education. For decades after the Civil War, they were the only institutions to offer higher education to large numbers of black students. More recently, the need for diversification has taken precedent.
Some people, however, are against the idea of diversifying HBCUs, saying it will cause a “black flight” from the institutions and threaten the cultural environment HBCUs have historically provided for black students.
In 2000, Morgan State University and the University System of Maryland’s three HBCUs reached an accord with the U.S. Department of Education that did not require the schools to meet specific ethnic quotas but encouraged investment in unique programs that would make enrolling at the historically black schools more attractive to diverse students.
At UMES, Latino students are trying to organize Latino organizations and fraternities to help establish themselves as a viable group at the university, Young said.
“We want [Latino students] to know, just like everyone else, that they are welcome here, and they fit in,” he said.
Contact reporters Arelis Hernandez and Kevin Rector at hernandezdbk@gmail.com.
