j^rjDaily j. WEATHER: Wednesday, 30 percent chanoe of snow with steadily chopping temperatures into the km teens with NW winds. Wednesday night, continued cold with temperatures 0-5, chance of flurries Thursday, flurries possible with tempera tures 5-10. February 1,1989 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol, 0$ Ho. 91 L NL minority enrollment up; recruitment causes increase By Amy Edwards Senior Editor Black male enrollment at the University of Nebraska-Lin coln is improving despite na tional trends of decreasing enroll ment. A recent report from the American Council on Higher Education has shown that black male enrollment has dropped more than any other minor ity group in the last decade. The report, released Jan. 18, stated that minorities as a group experi enced a 7.6 percent increase in col lege enrollment. However, that jump was “fueled mainly by the increased enrollment of Asians and Hispan ics.” From 1976 to 1986, “the pro portion of black ir m attending col lege suffered the largest decline of all racial and gender groups,” the report stated. But Vaughn Robertson, assistant director of student opportunities and services in the Multi-Cultural Affairs off ice at UNL, said Friday that black male enrollment at UNL has risen. Currently there are 226 black men and 149 black women at UNL, ac cording to the Integrated Postsecon dary Education Data System in the office of Institutional Research and Planning. In 1987, there were 214 black men and 161 black women at UNL. Robertson said improvements in UNL’s black student enrollment have taken place only in the last three vears. Three years ago, UNL had the iowest black enrollment in the Big Eight, Robertson said. “Now we’re getting ready to be at least in the top half,’’ he said. The increases have come as a re sult of changes in minority recruit ment programs at the university, Robertson said. Changes include more recruit ment programs and commitment to diversity at the university, Robertson said. Colleges and departments bring in their own scholarships, targeted at minorities. Robertson said the re cruitment effort is not coordinated, but it has made a difference. “This year, we’re going to give the most minority scholarships in the history of this university,” Robertson said. ‘ ‘We have not turned a comer by any means. But at least we’re able to bid for a certain part of the stu dents.” Robertson said the university is beginning to change a negative im age that it has had in the minority community. “The chancellor of the university is saying that diversity is important,” Robertson said. “To see the chancel lor of the university come to the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration and give the address is an important bertson, who has been a coun selor in the minority" assistance pro gram for eight years, said the changes he sees are making him optimistic. “(Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs James) Griesen has pul his money where his mouth is,” Robertson said. “If you make it bet ter for black students and Chicane students, you make it better for all students.” ___ 1984 1986 1987 1988 | ~$j 220 212 214 226 11 Black ^ 164 173 161 149 j ' Native?!.23 23 39 29 j AmericanTi23 27 30 26 | * -1—1 » 'fl—I !■■■ ^ Asia 75 101 95 111 i American 56 58 62 68 I'" ■ - —" .. 127 119 112 120 Hispanic^ 96 93^^J05^J05J 12,435 11,940 11,577 11,844 White 9,839 10,030 10,012 10,317 j Source: Thi Integrated Po