Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Tennessee Universities Take Steps to Recruit More Hispanics

Tennessee Universities Take Steps to Recruit More Hispanics: NASHVILLE, Tenn. Universities across Tennessee are taking steps to recruit more Hispanics to diversify their student bodies, officials say.

A recent study shows nearly half of Hispanic undergraduates attend about eight percent of universities in the United States.

The study, conducted by Washington-based Excelencia in Education, a Hispanic issues think tank, found that Hispanic undergraduates are concentrated in the country’s universities where at least 25 percent of undergraduates are Hispanic.

None of those institutions are in Tennessee.

To remedy that, university officials have hired Hispanic advisers, increased visibility in the Hispanic community and begun contacting prospective students earlier in their careers, even before they reach high school.