Syracuse U Sees Decline in New Minority Students

Syracuse University has been criticized by some of its minority students for an increased emphasis on rankings and for scaling back involvement with the Posse Foundation, a highly regarded program to attract low-income students to colleges they might not otherwise select. New data from the university show that the percentage of minority students in the class enrolling this fall is 24 percent, down from 28 percent a year ago. The figure includes all minority groups, and those who identify with more than one racial and ethnic group. The university is pledging a series of steps to enroll more minority students. Among the steps:

• Creating a team of four experienced recruiters focused specifically on diversity recruitment.
• Charging all admissions staff members to prioritize recruiting a diverse student body.
• Creating and enhancing incentive financial aid to encourage minority enrollment.