BJ. Yeager bids Meredith farewell
Julia Toone
Enter Joyner» walk down English alley
and into an office, where, seated at the
desk you will find the backbone of Mere
dith College. BJ. Yeager celebrated her
thirty-ninth year here at Meredith this past
November and at the end of January she
retired.
During her many years here she has, at
one time or another, been secretary to the
faculty, worked in the dean of students'
office organizing student housing, spon
sored the Astros, and organized and con
ducted school trips to New York, where
she reportedly made die girls wear hats
and gloves.
In her recent years here at Meredith,
Yeager has resided as secretary for the
English and history departments.
V^ager grew up in Hickory and then
attended college here at Mer^ilh. After
graduation she worked for the state for a
year and then was asked by Meredith's
president at that time. Dr. Campbell, to
join Meredith's community which she has
been a part of ever ^ce.
In her spare time Yeager enjoys playing
bridge and traveling. Meredith will surely
miss this devoted woman.
BJ. Yeager a mainstay at Meredith for almost thirty years. I^to courtesy of College
Relations.
Parti of3
The lack of minority presence on traditionally
white cannpuses and efforts to comlDat the
problem at Meredith
by Vanessa Goodman
Education figures concerning blacks
have caused some concern over the
years.
The number of black high school
i^raduates is on the rise, but the numbers
of those continuing onto college is falling.
Overall minority enrollment in college
has dropped during the past ten years.
According to the American Council
on Education, blacks who make up 14
percent of the U.S. population are only
eight percent of the total college enroll
ment.
Also of concern are the numbers of
blacks attending traditionally white col
leges and universities.
The U.S. Department of Education
said in 1976 that black student enrol-
[ Iment in predominately white colleges
peaked at 10.2 percent, but by 1982 it
had declined to 9.6 percent.
The national problem has also been a
t:oncem at Meredith College for a num
ber of years.
In the fall of 1984 there were 1761
litudents enrolled at Meredith; 46 of
rhem were black. In 1985 there were
-1848 students registered and 45 of them
were black.
The total enrollment on the under
graduate level for the academic year
1986* 1987 is 1681, Out of that number,
only 28 students are black—just over 1.6
percent of the total campus population.
Dr Sandra Thomas, vice president for
student development, said, 'The recruit
ment ofbiacks to Meredith has long been
a concern and a source o f strong empha
sis to me and the Office of Admissions."
Nevertheless, the recniiimentofminor-
> I., •
ities to Meredith has long been a problem
and a mystery for numerous campus
officials.
Despite several efforts each year, the
college sees the additon of one or two
black students on an average.
The O f ftce of Admissions has designed
several programs to attract minority stu
dents.
Every year they purchase names from
the Office Board Search Program of the
PSAT to identify possible prospects. Let
ters are written to approximately 800
black students during the summer.
“We've tried to include minorities in our
various publications-catalogues, leaflets,
etc., so that pro^cts can get a sense of
black presence here," said Sue Keamey,
director of admissions.
In the spring of each academic year, a
phonathon is also conducted in conjunc
tion with members of the Association for
Black Awareness for those who have app
lied or expressed an interest in Meredith.
According to Kearney, the phonadion
carries the potential for making people
more aware of the campus.
“Students dealing with students can
have a positive effect,” said Kearney.
The 1985-1986 annual report from the
admissions staff describes a project done
in cooperation with the vice president of
institutional affairs, hosting a luncheon
for black ministers in the local area who
might serve as contacts for disseminating
information about opportunities available
at Meredith. ,
According to the report, about I5mem-
bers of the ministerial alliance attended
the luncheon, where a program about
Meredith, planned by the admissions sta f f,
was pre^nted.
Another recruitment project that began
last year is the minority college day.
Invitations are sent to students and
schools within a SO-mile radius of Mere
dith to spend a day on campus.
Students are given financial aid and
general admissions information, in addi
tion to having a tour of the grounds and
listening to and participating in a panel
consisting of ABA Members.
Last year six students attended. Another
one has been planned this monthio be held
in conjunction with Black Emphasis Week
activities.
According to Kearney, admissions coun
selors also travel to areas known to have
heavy concentrations of blacks such as
Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; and
Baltimore, Maryland; in order to reach
possible prospects.
These recruitment efforts still only seem
to attract a limited amount of black
students.
“Meredith is not very well-known in the
black community," said Keamey.
Because of this, Meredith does not
enjoy word-of-mouth advertisement as a
means of recruitment.
“Most students who attend Meredith
have had someone close to them to come
here, but that is not the case in the black
community,” said C. Allen Burris, vice
president and dean of the college.
Dean of students Dorothy J. Sizemore
believes that it is hard to attract and make
black students feel at home here because
there isn't a large number of them already
on campus.
Some believe there is a problem in
communication between Meredith and the
black community.
According to Valerie McCray, presi
dent of the Association of Black Aware
ness, there need to be contact persons on
campus for black prospects to call and
ask questions about the campus.
Black students should also be drafted
by the admissions office to attend col
lege days said McCray.
“Many don't realize blacks are here
and if they saw them at these programs
and saw that they were having a positive
experience, it might attract them to the
college," said McCray.
Financial reasons have also kept some
minorities away.
“The initial cost of coming to Mere
dith keeps many black students from
applying," said Adrienne Gore, a junior
at Meredith.
According to Keamey, having several
fine black institutions in the area, as well
as in the state and competition with the
state college system’s de»gregation pol
icies have also pulled many black stu*
dents from Meredith.
McCray believes that students choos
ing to enter predominately white or
black institutions have different thought
patterns.
Students who attend black institutions
believe that they would be denying their
culture if they did otherwise, while those
who choose to attend prklominately
white colleges believe they are becoming
more well rounded and learning how to
deal with the real world.
The need for black role models and
the programs of other colleges will be
discuss^ in the next two articles for pos
sible implementation at Meredith to in*
crease the enrollment ofbiacks.