At Charlotte Area Schooh
Black Student Enrollment Increasing
By Jalyne strong
Post Staff Writer
A charted decrease in the number
of blacks enrolling in most of the
nation’s colleges, what is being
called a “national crisis" by some
educators, is fortunately not the
case at Charlotte’s four-year insti
tutions of higher education.
This city's three colleges: John
son C. Smith University, the Uni
versity of North Carolina at Char
lotte, and Queens College, all give
reports that the number of black
students entering these schools is
not declining
In contrast, black students in
Charlotte’s colleges are increasing.
It is a stark difference to figures
quoted in a Wall street Journal
article titled, “Minorities’ Enroll
ment In College Retreats After Its
Surge In •70s," which reported,
although the number of black high
school graduates grew substantially
between 1976 and 1983, the percen
tage enrolling in college declined to
28 percent from 315 percent.”
Alarmed by those figures, |mbih|
Myers, president of the National
Association of Equal Opportunity in
Higher Education, predicts “econo
mic repercussions if the nation’s
rapidly growing minority popula
tion! don’t advance educationally "
He explains, They will kwe pur
chasing power," be sicker knd poor
■JSSSJijKfti&tS
meal in collages, fat Chariot*, Ka*
Sanford, public information (ftrector
of UNCC, reports a S percent in
crease of black student enrollment
from la^year; Mooes Jooee, «rec
tor of admission at JCSU, reveals
that black enrollpoeot this year heid
steady with an outstanding increase
of 1*7 percent at Smith which
occurred in 1984-95; and Anne
Matthews of Queens College charted
an Increase of black students at
Queens up from 36 students in 198* to
91 black students in 1985.
Problems which are blamed for
the nation decline of blacks enroll
ing in colleges, such as, financial aid
cutbacks, softened recruitment ef
forts and poor secondary school
training, apparently have not
stricken Charlotte’s institutions of
higher education. ‘
According to Jones, who has been
director of JCSU admissions for 13
years, Smith’s main problem hu
been housing the many students that
enter the predominantly black uni
versity each year. He concedes to a
recent stage in enrollment at Smith
and he credits it to the college’s new
president Dr. Robert Albright.
“Smith has been getting a lot of
exposure due to our new president ”
says Jonsi. He also claims, “There
has been a brandling out in our
recruiting efforts. Many people am
working to make thlMs strong at
Smith.
oauivi u, w uiens, ix one
was to chart on a graph black stu
dent enrollment at UNCC over the
last fbw years U would show a alow
and steady increase. Except for one
year," he points out, "there was a
decline for no apparent reason. We'd
like it to be more," admits the public
Information director. Black enroll
ment at UNCC is currently 8.9 per
cent, up from last year's 8.0 per
cent.
Jean Frye handles minority re
cruitment at UNCC and she relates
that the college actively seeks black
Charlotte’* CROP Walk
Shatters State Record
Charlotte’s CROP walk of Oc
tober 13 set a record for the largest
, in toe Carotoas, and perhaps to the
nation. With Mayor Harvey Gantt
setting the place foi'ieftrunners and
Congressman Alex McMillan lead
ing an estimated 5,00ft walkers,
participants brought in a record
$114,610 % in nUvtooe : 4
CROP Walk representative
Howard Virkler expressed delight at
the turn-wg and the support from
ehurches, corpora tions.achoots, and
fW- H« especially com
mended Coca-Cola, which not only"
he^ed financially, but also pro
vided refreshments.
••j ' ‘ * ,’^.Vlfkley «
4
, tlwds
. „ , „ -. J t can
only ^translate the energy of
WalkDay into help for the hungry
when the funds are sent in. We don’t
want to starve the hunger-fighting
agencies.** ^
ajjuiisors ana support
ers included United Carolina Bank,
Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Hen
- drick MBW, Coca Cola, Charlotte
Motor Speedway, NCNB National
Bank, Lance, Inc., IBM, WBTV,
Virkler Chemical Co., Wachovia
Bank and Trust, Hardee’s Hambur
gers, and Belk of Charlotte.
Entertainment included perfor
mances by the Children’s The
atre Clowns, Johnson C. Smith Uni
versity Cheerleaders, the Garinger
High School Band and Letter Girts,
the Charlotte Caledonian Pipe Bank!
and a bluegrass group led l>y Jim
Whitley. There was also a “crazy
. costume” contest Judged by Mr. and
Mrs Jeff Bodine.
TMa year at least one church had
100 percent participation, with
everyone in the congregation either
walking or sponsoring a walker
Long-time member of Matthewa
Murkiand Presbyterian Church, 182
year old Emma Jackson, wm pre
sent to wish the walkers well, and
was driven oyer part of the route.
Several years ago, Ms. Jackson
walked the first mile. Growing up in
South Carolina, she kaew hunger
personally and has sought to do
something about it by supporting
CROP. „ *: G; IS
* branch
Tbe walker who turns in the most
funds by November IS will be
treated to a tree balloon ride over
Charlotte.
Assertive Job Search
WomanReach will offer a seminar
November 13 (Wed.) from 4,304
pm. called “The Nuts & Bolts of Job
Hunting: The Assertive Job
Search,” facilitated by SoRja White,
at the WomanReach Center. The
WomanReach'Center, is a United
Way Agency.
Hie faculties are handicapped
accessible and services are freely
given and freely received. For more
information call a WomanReach
peer counselor Mon-Sat from 10 - 4
p.m. at 334-3614.
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students for the university. “Wo
contact all minority students In the
state who've taken the PSAT and
SAT and send them general infor
mation and an application. This
Information Is followed up with a
phone call by a UNCC student. We
also recruit through minority
alumni, and currently enrolled
students. UNCC sponsors Minority
Recruitment Day, also.
“Some of these things we ars
required to do under the Consent
Decree,” acknowledges Frye. “All
schools in the University system
have things to do to —“•"issue
minority enrollment whether it is a
predominately black or white,
institution. However, we wiir
continue to encourage black
students to enroll at UNCC after the
decree is up (in IMS),” nwfnt.in.
Frye. “Increase in minority enroll
ment leads to increase hi cultural
exchange at college. A good untvsr
sity should reflect the society in
which it exists," she concludes.
a uv owoujr uunu ui uic numDer 01
tdack students at Queens College
since 108S, states Anne Matthew*,l»
reflective of Queens effort to
increase enrollment overall. She
says that no special efforts are made
to recruit specifically black students
at the college. “As the number of
students increase at Queans,”
reveals Matthews, "so do the
number of black students.” There
are M black students in Queens’
undergraduate program, five in its
graduate program and a black
students in the college’s New College
(coed) program, totaling 01 students
among the college’s overall
population for 196S-W of 1,007.
All admissions persons inter
viewed could not point to any
particular reason why Charlotte’s
colleges and universities are not
affected by national trends of
dedining minority enrollment.
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11 NOVEMBER 14-2
CHARLOTTE
I MERCHANDISE MART
a soutm^n Sndw*iNC MNOlucndN
Th«ef8 a reason Santa Claus is such a jolly old elf—he sfc
Ifts holiday season at the Southern Christinas Show. It's a
colorful exciting event filled with all the sights, smells
cttanve ideas and fun for the holidays. Feast on fresh baked
hphday treats. Find the perfect gifts and decorations for love**
ottHMnd home. Enjoy the ABC Saturday :— *
Apd of course, visit Santa.
lOjarr^ ^ days t0 ^ ^ Pm‘ weekdays and Saturdays,
AUMibblUN: $4 at door, $3.50 in advance. Youth (6-18) $2. Child*
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BENEFIT PREVIEW for Charlotte C’ * — -
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