Race gaps continue in college enrollment

Molly Braxton | Assistant New Editor

Kalen Weaver is an orientation leader, a member of the executive board of the Student Government Association and was also on Dean’s List for the Spring 2015 semester.

Weaver is a successful scholar and tries to be involved in many different extra curricular activities that UNCW’s campus provides. He is just like any other college student but the only difference between Weaver and the other 95 percent of the student body is that Weaver is an African American.

UNCW has extremely low minority involvement. In 2014, only 5.5 percent of students enrolled were African American and only 6.3 percent were Hispanic.

Around 80 percent of students enrolled last year identified as Caucasian.

“Wilmington is just known for stereotypical white surfer students,” UNCW student Liza Carrasquillo said. “This school just probably doesn’t come to mind for most minorities applying to college.”

According to the University of North Carolina System’s website, UNCW ranked fifth among the least diverse campuses out of the 17 campuses the UNC system includes.

“Not many minorities want to come to a beach school,” Weaver said. “And the lack of a football team may discourage minorities from applying.”

The four schools that were even less diverse than UNCW were Appalachian State University, UNC-Asheville, NC A&T and Western Carolina University.

In 2008, the UNC school system had a majority Caucasian enrollment of about 64.1 percent. In 2014 that number only dropped to 59.7 percent. 

In 2008, UNCW had a staggering 83.4 percent majority white student population. Six years later and that number has dropped to 79.3 percent.

“People go where they feel they would be most accepted and comfortable and that includes being around people that they share an ethnic commonality with,” Carrasquillo said.

Carrasquillo and Weaver both agree that increased advertising of the diversity offices, such as Centro Hispano, would help show the diversity UNCW already has and that alone would attract more minority applicants.

“I feel as if recruitment of minority students by minority alumni is important,” Weaver said. “When I graduate I would encourage other minorities to apply to UNCW.”

Lauren Scott, the Associate Director of Admissions at UNCW, says the official demographics of the freshman class for the year 2015 won’t be released until two or three weeks into the semester.

By hiring a new chief diversity officer, Dr. Kent Guion, this year, the university is looking to change the Caucasian majority monopoly.