MU gets 'D' in minority and low-income access

By Brad Fischer

Published Nov. 28, 2006

MU is not adequately serving low-income and minority students, according to a report released last week.

MU received an overall grade of "D" for its minority and low-income access in a report released by the Education Trust, an independent non-profit group based in Washington, D.C. The report graded the flagship public universities, in each of the 50 states in six categories as well as with an overall grade.

MU Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Ann Korschgen does not agree with the D grade.

"It's inaccurate in that it does not paint the full picture," Korschgen said. "There are a limited number of college-eligible underrepresented minority students in Missouri. In the past year, there were only 570 African Americans that scored 22 or higher on the ACT and a little over 300 Hispanics that scored over 22. When you consider that the minimum score for automatic admission is 24 then that limits us."

The report stated university administrations frequently point to the high school system as the reason for the lack of minority students enrolled.

"The universities themselves are important actors in this drama of shrinking opportunity," the report stated. "Not victims, not sideline spectators, but independent actors."

Korschgen said the university has instituted certain "pipeline programs" to make underrepresented minority students ready for college sooner.

In the sub-categories, the university received grades of "F" in both minority access and low-income access and a "B" grade in minority success. MU has improved in the minority access and the access and success categories while declining in low-income access.

MU Academic Retention Services is responsible for tracking MU students progress while at the university.

Director of Academic Retention Services Linda Garth was unaware of the report and declined to comment.

Five other Big 12 universities were graded in the report including the University of Colorado, University of Kansas, University of Nebraska, University of Oklahoma and University of Texas. Each school received the same overall grade of D as MU.

Nationally, none of the schools graded received an overall grade of A with just four managing a B. Seven universities received an F. D was the most common overall grade.

The report made six recommendations to improve the situation nationally. First, university administrators need to know certain data figures about their campuses like graduation rates of the student body as a whole compared to minority students and the proportion of financial aid granted to low-income students.

Second, universities need to focus on the success of minority and low-income students at the school through stronger advising and more campus involvement.

The report recommends that colleges aggressively recruit more qualified minority and low-income students. It stated financial aid should be shifted away from high-income students toward low-income students.

The fifth recommendation is for universities to seek out those students who left school on good academic standing, but did not complete a degree.

The final suggestion states that the nation needs to commit to preparing more highly qualified teachers to work in high-poverty and high-minority school districts.