The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of the nation’s top 26 institutions for increasing graduation rates for underrepresented minorities over the last decade.
It was recognized in a report released Wednesday by the Education Trust, a national non-profit advocacy group, for rising graduation rates for African-American, Hispanic and Native American students.
“The University continually strives to help all of our students succeed, including underrepresented minority students, many of whom are first-generation students, or may face challenges due to socioeconomic status,” said Dr. DeWayne Bowie, UL Lafayette’s vice president for Enrollment Management.
The report, “Rising Tide: Do College Grad Rate Gains Benefit all Students?”, examined graduation rates at 1,309 four-year colleges and universities over 10 years, from 2003-2013.
During that span, 328 public colleges and universities improved their overall graduation rates. Of those, the Education Trust focused on 255 institutions that had sizable enrollments of underrepresented students. UL Lafayette’s graduation rate increase for underrepresented minorities during that span was 12 percent.
The Education Trust singled out the top “high performing institutions that exhibited exceptional improvements in graduation rates and diminished gaps,” according to the report.
Over the past decade, those 26 high performing institutions have:
- increased the graduation rate for underrepresented students by twice the average increase for all institutions in the sample; and,
- reduced the graduation rate gap between underrepresented and white students.
UL Lafayette increased its graduation rate for underrepresented students by 33.1 percent, according to three-year averages included in the report. The University reduced the graduation rate gap by 5 percent.
UL Lafayette’s Fall 2015 enrollment includes 3,351 African-American students, 579 Hispanic students, and 71 Native American students, who represent about 22.9 percent of the overall enrollment of 17,508 students.
Bowie attributed the University’s success in enrolling, retaining and graduating underrepresented minorities to many factors, including advising, and need-based financial aid assistance, such as the federal Pell Grant Program.
He also cited outreach efforts for any students whose grades are flagging. “We try to identify students who are having challenges, and get them assistance, whether it’s tutoring, peer mentoring or simply letting them know about campus resources available to them.”
UL Lafayette also was recognized in a recent issue of “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” The University was ranked No. 90 on the magazine’s list of Top 100 Degree Producers for African-American students.
Other Louisiana schools included in the national rankings were Southern University (30), Grambling State University (50), and Louisiana State University (99).
The rankings are based on degrees conferred in the 2013-2014 academic year. UL Lafayette conferred 424 degrees to African-American students, or 17 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded that academic year.
“It is also an increase of 8 percent from 2012-2013, when there were 394 degrees conferred to African-Americans,” said Dr. Taniecea Arceneaux Mallery, the University’s director of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement.
Learn more about the education Trust’s “Rising Tide” report at https://edtrust.org/resource/rising-tide/
Learn more about the “Diverse” magazine’s Top 100 Degree Producers at http://diverseeducation.com/top100/