DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Latino-Native American Cultural Center newspaper clippings, 1970-2001 |

Transcribe
Translate

Latino-Native American Cultural Center newspaper clippings, 1970-2001

THE DES MOINES REGISTER 
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1998
Pg. 4A

U of I makes gains in recruiting Hispanics

Students
Continued from page 1A

universities in Texas and to schools on the East and West coasts.
"But the University of Iowa gave me the best feedback. They made me feel like more of an individual," she said. "From the point that I was accepted to the point that I arrived here, I heard from them at least once a week," she said.
The U of I's success in attracting Hispanic students hasn't been shared by Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.
ISU enrolled five fewer Hispanic students this fall, and the number fell by two at UNI.
Although the U of I's Hispanic enrollment has increase from 479 students in 1991 to 631 students this fall, administrators say the university should do better, because Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Iowa.
Since 1985, the number of Latinos attending public schools in the state has tripled -- from 4,069 to 12,903.
One reason the increase isn't being translated into university admissions is that too many Hispanic students are dropping out, said Joe Coulter, director of the Opportunity at Iowa program, a program that recruits minority students.
"They're not graduating (from high school) at the rates that they should be," he said.
Minority enrollment stands at 9.3 percent at the U of I, compared with 6.6 percent at Iowa State and 4 percent at UNI. But despite its gains the U of I remains the "whitest school in the Big 10," Coulter said.
"So we've got our work cut out for us if we aspire to have a university and a learning environment that are as diverse as the world that we're trying to prepare our students to go out into," he said.
The regents want all state universities to have a minority enrollment of at least 8.5 percent. Because Iowa has a minority population of 4 percent, the U of I must aggressively recruit minority students from other states, Coulter said.
"The demographics being what they are, we wouldn't be at almost 10 percent diversity if we didn't bring students from out of state," he said.
Frank Stork, the regents' executive director, warns that it's still too early to celebrate success for Hispanic numbers at the U of I.
"It's hard to take one year's experience and give meaning to it," he 

[photo]

Hispanic students say the Latino Native American Cultural Center is a big asset at the U o I. Gathered at the center are, clockwise from upper left, Jeffri Subieta of Iowa City, Enrique Ortiz of Chicago, Erika Subieta of Iowa City, Carlos Rios of Chicago, Jaime Vazquez of Chicago, Altair Juarez of Chicago, and Angelique Ojeda of New York City. The center is located in an old house.

said.
"These numbers still don't tell us much if their experiences aren't good."
He probably should talk to Juan Adams.
Adams of Clear Lake, a 20-year-old junior majoring in chemistry at the U of I, said he has been surprised at the level of diversity on the Iowa City campus.
Adams also has been impressed by the resources available to Hispanic students.
"Once the students are here, I think there are opportunities for them," he said.
Wen he and his parents visited the campus, Adams said, his mother and father were impressed by the Latino Native American Cultural Center.
U of I administrators say the center is a primary recruiting tool.
"I can attest to the impact that has on students from my own experience as an undergraduate," said Adele Rodriguez, a multicultural coordinator with Opportunity at Iowa. "A tremendous amount of my learning outside of the classroom came from the activities I was involved in there. Those are the experiences that helped me become successful as 

[insert]

Bucking the trend
Recent growth in the number of Hispanic students enrolling at the University of Iowa is outpacing that of other minority groups.

African-American
1997 754
1998 727
Difference -27

American Indian/Native Alaskan
1997 130
1998 141
Difference +11

Asian or Pacific Islander
1997 1192
1998 1164
Difference -28

Hispanic
1997 577
1998 631
Difference +54
Total Enrollment
1997 26,702
1998 28,705
Difference +3
SOURCE: Iowa Board of Regents
THE REGISTRAR


a professional."
University administrators have proposed moving the cultural center -- it's an old house -- to the Iowa Memorial Union. But Hispanic and American Indian students oppose the idea.
The U of I also can claim a Hispanic sorority and fraternity. Both chapters have spread to other campuses.
Altair Juarez, 23, a senior from Chicago majoring in psychology, is president of Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority. She said the sorority helped her make the transition from a big-city high school to a mostly white university.
"I felt welcomed at the university, and once I became involved with the sorority, I definitely felt like I had a place," she said.
Juarez is a student ambassador for Opportunity at Iowa and helps recruit other Hispanic students.
No matter how many edicts to improve minority numbers, no matter how many programs are developed, word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to meet the goal, Rodriguez said.
"They have a positive experience here, and they tell their friends and family," she said. "Sometimes you don't realize what a positive effect that can have.

Saving...

THE DES MOINES REGISTER TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1998 Pg. 4A U of I makes gains in recruiting Hispanics Students Continued from page 1A universities in Texas and to schools on the East and West coasts. "But the University of Iowa gave me the best feedback. They made me feel like more of an individual," she said. "From the point that I was accepted to the point that I arrived here, I heard from them at least once a week," she said. The U of I's success in attracting Hispanic students hasn't been shared by Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. ISU enrolled five fewer Hispanic students this fall, and the number fell by two at UNI. Although the U of I's Hispanic enrollment has increase from 479 students in 1991 to 631 students this fall, administrators say the university should do better, because Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Iowa. Since 1985, the number of Latinos attending public schools in the state has tripled -- from 4,069 to 12,903. One reason the increase isn't being translated into university admissions is that too many Hispanic students are dropping out, said Joe Coulter, director of the Opportunity at Iowa program, a program that recruits minority students. "They're not graduating (from high school) at the rates that they should be," he said. Minority enrollment stands at 9.3 percent at the U of I, compared with 6.6 percent at Iowa State and 4 percent at UNI. But despite its gains the U of I remains the "whitest school in the Big 10," Coulter said. "So we've got our work cut out for us if we aspire to have a university and a learning environment that are as diverse as the world that we're trying to prepare our students to go out into," he said. The regents want all state universities to have a minority enrollment of at least 8.5 percent. Because Iowa has a minority population of 4 percent, the U of I must aggressively recruit minority students from other states, Coulter said. "The demographics being what they are, we wouldn't be at almost 10 percent diversity if we didn't bring students from out of state," he said. Frank Stork, the regents' executive director, warns that it's still too early to celebrate success for Hispanic numbers at the U of I. "It's hard to take one year's experience and give meaning to it," he [photo] Hispanic students say the Latino Native American Cultural Center is a big asset at the U o I. Gathered at the center are, clockwise from upper left, Jeffri Subieta of Iowa City, Enrique Ortiz of Chicago, Erika Subieta of Iowa City, Carlos Rios of Chicago, Jaime Vazquez of Chicago, Altair Juarez of Chicago, and Angelique Ojeda of New York City. The center is located in an old house. said. "These numbers still don't tell us much if their experiences aren't good." He probably should talk to Juan Adams. Adams of Clear Lake, a 20-year-old junior majoring in chemistry at the U of I, said he has been surprised at the level of diversity on the Iowa City campus. Adams also has been impressed by the resources available to Hispanic students. "Once the students are here, I think there are opportunities for them," he said. Wen he and his parents visited the campus, Adams said, his mother and father were impressed by the Latino Native American Cultural Center. U of I administrators say the center is a primary recruiting tool. "I can attest to the impact that has on students from my own experience as an undergraduate," said Adele Rodriguez, a multicultural coordinator with Opportunity at Iowa. "A tremendous amount of my learning outside of the classroom came from the activities I was involved in there. Those are the experiences that helped me become successful as [insert] Bucking the trend Recent growth in the number of Hispanic students enrolling at the University of Iowa is outpacing that of other minority groups. African-American 1997 754 1998 727 Difference -27 American Indian/Native Alaskan 1997 130 1998 141 Difference +11 Asian or Pacific Islander 1997 1192 1998 1164 Difference -28 Hispanic 1997 577 1998 631 Difference +54 Total Enrollment 1997 26,702 1998 28,705 Difference +3 SOURCE: Iowa Board of Regents THE REGISTRAR a professional." University administrators have proposed moving the cultural center -- it's an old house -- to the Iowa Memorial Union. But Hispanic and American Indian students oppose the idea. The U of I also can claim a Hispanic sorority and fraternity. Both chapters have spread to other campuses. Altair Juarez, 23, a senior from Chicago majoring in psychology, is president of Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority. She said the sorority helped her make the transition from a big-city high school to a mostly white university. "I felt welcomed at the university, and once I became involved with the sorority, I definitely felt like I had a place," she said. Juarez is a student ambassador for Opportunity at Iowa and helps recruit other Hispanic students. No matter how many edicts to improve minority numbers, no matter how many programs are developed, word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to meet the goal, Rodriguez said. "They have a positive experience here, and they tell their friends and family," she said. "Sometimes you don't realize what a positive effect that can have.