Minority students are losing ground

The number of African-Americans and Hispanics entering graduate programs in psychology dropped substantially between 1996 and 1997, mirroring an overall decline among minority enrollments in other science and engineering fields, a new report shows.

A study of first-year enrollments at 93 major research institutions shows that the number of African-Americans beginning graduate programs in psychology fell from 212 in 1996 to 148 in 1997, representing a 30 percent drop. Enrollments among Hispanics fell from 108 in 1996 to 83 in 1997?a 23 percent decline. The study, conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), found that enrollments in science and engineering fields overall fell 20 percent among blacks between 1996 and 1997, and 16.2 percent among Hispanics.

In a report on the study, released in September, AAAS warns that the declines in graduate enrollment among blacks and Latinos could impede the diversity of the 21st century workforce.

The report, 'Losing Ground: Science and Engineering Graduate Education of Black and Hispanic Americans,' attributed much of the enrollment decline to an 'unwelcoming environment' for minority graduates students. AAAS points to recent state laws and regulations aimed at scaling back affirmative action programs in higher education. Many institutions are consequently confused about the guidelines they must follow in recruiting minority students, the association says.

'The federal government must make clear to institutions what they can and can?t do,' Shirley Malcom, AAAS?s director for education and human resources programs, said in releasing the report. 'The nation needs a coherent policy that not only addresses the lack of minority representation in these fields, but also provides a structure to ensure that the workforce mirrors the face of the population.'

?S. Sleek