U-M reports record enrollment, but minorities decline

Detroit News
October 13, 2009

MARISA SCHULTZThe Detroit News
Ann Arbor -- University of Michigan had a record-breaking year for freshman applications and overall enrollment, which topped 41,674 students for this fall, the university announced today.
Though the number of applications and admissions offers for underrepresented minority students topped last year, the freshman enrollment of African-American, Hispanic and Native-American students actually declined by 11.4 percent, or 69 students, to 535. Now underrepresented minorities -- the population the university has been trying to cultivate with ramped up outreach efforts since voters passed Proposal 2 in 2006 than bans consideration of race in admissions -- comprise 9.1 percent of the freshman class (excluding international students) compared to 10.4 percent last year.
"We work hard every day to build the best possible freshman class each year, and this year is no exception," said Ted Spencer, U-M associate vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions. "Our incoming class is exceptional in all ways, although we have experienced a notable loss in some key elements of diversity.
"We are competing nationally with other top schools that are not constrained in their ability to confer recruitment scholarships and other forms of financial aid with consideration to racial, ethnic and gender diversity, among other factors. This is a tough environment, but not impossible. We have learned a lot in the past two years, and are sharpening our skills and adding to our toolkit."
Underrepresented minorities comprised 12.6 percent of the class in fall 2006, the last class fully admitted before the passage of Proposal 2. The proportion of Hispanic, African-American and Native-American students has dropped each year since. This year's admissions cycle marks the second full year without consideration of race, gender or ethnicity since voters passed the ballot initiative.

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