Fewer degrees going to minorities

by Lauren Worley

Monday, October 13, 2008 00:00

Generational advancements in postsecondary education among young adults appear to have stalled and today, young adults in some minority groups are actually pursuing less education than previous generations, according to a report released Thursday.

The report by the American Council on Education showed that the postsecondary educational rates for African Americans have remained about the same for both current and older age groups. Asian Americans and Caucasians were the only two groups where young adults were surpassing the previous generations in educational attainment.

While some minority groups were nearly matching the number of postsecondary degrees earned in the past, the report found that current generations of Hispanics and American Indians have had trouble reaching the same educational thresholds.

For example, in 2006, 18 percent of older Hispanics had at least an associate degree, while just 16 percent of young Hispanics could say the same. Young American Indians also fell below older adults by 3 percent.

ACE President Molly Corbett Broad voiced concerns for America’s young people.

“One of the core tenets of the American Dream is the hope that younger generations, who have had greater opportunities for educational advancement than their parents and grandparents, will be better off than the generations before them, yet this report shows that aspiration is at serious risk,” she said in the statement.

Kellee Edmonds, spokesperson for ACE, said the report’s research data was compiled from two different sources, both the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics, an organization within the U.S. Department of Education.

The report is in some ways reminiscent of Plan 2008, an initiative created by University of Wisconsin administrators aimed to raise the percentage of minorities in the undergraduate population, increase diversity and mitigate the achievement gap between white and non-white students.

“Getting a college degree is a gateway to lots of different opportunities,” said College of Letters and Science Dean of Students Gary Sandefur. “It’s a very important experience and very important credential to have.”

Sandefur said higher education is especially important for minorities for two reasons: First, it is important to continue to move towards a society where members of minority groups have the same kinds of opportunities as anyone else, and second, because in order for society to be healthy, it needs leadership to be representative of all groups in the country.

Clifton Conrad, professor of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education, said he hopes these achievement gaps between different groups can be resolved by cultivating a more genuine and welcoming environment to people with all different backgrounds.

“Greater diversity amongst students with backgrounds from around the world enriches and enlarges the learning experience of all of us, including faculty and staff,” he said. “It’s critical in the democracy we live in for everybody to be invited to participate.”

Clifton said he suggests the university look more at practices than just talk about policies.

Conrad added he is optimistic that new Vice Chancellor for Diversity Damon Williams will bring these kinds of changes to UW. Clifton said in today’s slumping economy, “a more educated workforce” is what the global economy needs.