Texas A&M University-Commerce has set a goal to have 25 percent Hispanic enrollment in three years. Upon completion, A&M-Commerce would be recognized under federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).
“That designation is important, because at that point, the university becomes eligible to receive certain resources that will support those students,” A&M-Commerce President Dr. Dan Jones said.
Jones said the extra funding was not the only factor in considering Hispanic enrollment the target for an increase. According to a 2008 report by the Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas is “well below target” in raising the number of Hispanics in college.
“Texas A&M University-Commerce is a regional university, and we feel the student population should reflect the demographics of our service delivery area,” Vice President of Student Access and Success Dr. Mary Hendrix said.
Texas instituted a state plan in 2000, Closing the Gaps, to increase college enrollment amongst the Hispanic population to 5.7 percent by 2015. Right now the number of overall enrollment is around 3.9 percent for Hispanics in Texas.
“The Hispanic portion of the population is the fastest growing segment, especially in Texas, and unfortunately it’s also the segment of the population that has the lowest high school graduation rates, the highest drop out rates, the lowest college going rates, and the lowest college graduation rates,” Jones said. “We’re set up for a bind here. You’ve got the fastest growing segment of the population, which is also the least educated and earns the least money.”
A&M-Commerce picked Hispanics because they are underrepresented, considering the region the university serves has about a 40 percent Hispanic population while the school is about 10 percent Hispanic.
“As a university we have not yet reached the point where our student body reflects the demographic diversity of our service area,” Jones said. “Really, we want to get to the point where we’re recognized as a university that serves the entire region and serves all segments of the population in equal measure.”
One of the leading predictors in whether or not a person goes to college is whether or not the student’s parents went to college. Hendrix said making college accessible to the Hispanic population is the greatest challenge higher education has faced.
“This population has no history with higher education,” Hendrix said. “Working through the process of admissions, financial aid and scholarships, and registering for classes can be a daunting process.”
Hendrix said she is hopeful the One Stop Shop will become a resource for creating personal relationships and keep the focus on the success of each individual student. Jones keyed in on partnerships with local high schools in the metroplex as another strategy to boost enrollment.
“We’ve also signed a partnership with a group called Education is Freedom (EIF),” Jones said. “They do programs like college-readiness activities. They help these students find scholarships.”
EIF also partners with the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas in Arlington.
“We pledged 3.2 million dollars in scholarship funds for their students over the next five years to help attract those students to A&M-Commerce.” Jones said.
A&M-Commerce has partnered with the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Dallas Black Chamber. If a student wins a scholarship from that program, then A&M-Commerce will match that scholarship.
According to Hendrix, the university established an Hispanic-Serving Institution Advisory Council last spring, and they currently have a targeted marketing campaign. Jones said he sees the goal of 25 percent Hispanic enrollment to be a part of the university’s mandate.
“Because access and opportunity are also intrinsic to our mission, we need to work with students from underrepresented populations or otherwise we’re not really fulfilling our mandate,” Jones said. “We want to be part of the solution.”