The 杏吧专区 is one of the nation杏吧专区檚 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.
杏吧专区淭he 杏吧专区 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,杏吧专区 said Dr. DeWayne Bowie, UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 vice president for Enrollment Management.
The report, 杏吧专区淩ising Tide: Do College Grad Rate Gains Benefit all Students?杏吧专区, 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杏吧专区檚 graduation rate increase for underrepresented minorities during that span was 12 percent.
The Education Trust singled out the top 杏吧专区渉igh performing institutions that exhibited exceptional improvements in graduation rates and diminished gaps,杏吧专区 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 杏吧专区 reduced the graduation rate gap by 5 percent.
UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 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 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 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. 杏吧专区淲e try to identify students who are having challenges, and get them assistance, whether it杏吧专区檚 tutoring, peer mentoring or simply letting them know about campus resources available to them.杏吧专区
UL Lafayette also was recognized in a recent issue of 杏吧专区淒iverse: Issues in Higher Education.杏吧专区 The 杏吧专区 was ranked No. 90 on the magazine杏吧专区檚 list of Top 100 Degree Producers for African-American students.
Other Louisiana schools included in the national rankings were Southern 杏吧专区 (30), Grambling State 杏吧专区 (50), and Louisiana State 杏吧专区 (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杏吧专区檚 degrees awarded that academic year.
杏吧专区淚t is also an increase of 8 percent from 2012-2013, when there were 394 degrees conferred to African-Americans,杏吧专区 said Dr. Taniecea Arceneaux Mallery, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 director of Equity, Diversity and Community Engagement.
Learn more about the education Trust杏吧专区檚 杏吧专区淩ising Tide杏吧专区 report at
Learn more about the 杏吧专区淒iverse杏吧专区 magazine杏吧专区檚 Top 100 Degree Producers at