THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603160359
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TIFFANY ALEXANDER CAMPUS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
While the number of males enrolled in Virginia colleges has dropped in the past few years, the number of African-American males has edged up, state figures show.
The overall number of males decreased 1.8 percent, from 155,644 to 152,823, from 1992 to 1994, the last year breakdowns are available from the State Council of Higher Education. In contrast, the number of black males rose 2.7 percent during the same period, from 19,716 to 20,241.
Even so, males still make up a smaller share of the total black student enrollment in Virginia: 37 percent of the black student population is male, compared with 44 percent of whites.
Educators and students say the rise in black male enrollment is good news that contradicts perceptions that most young black males are in trouble or in jail.
``I'm surprised the number of black males in college continues to rise,'' said Victor Ledbetter, vice president of Hampton University's Student Government Association. ``I was not aware of the fact that there are so many African Americans in college because of statistics given by the media. They always say that there are more blacks in jail than in college.''
Federal statistics show that 14,093 black males are imprisoned in Virginia.
Educators said the overall drop in male enrollment reflects a decline in the number of teenagers graduating from high school statewide.
Freddye Davy, director of the honors college at Hampton, attributed the increase in black male enrollment to cutbacks in the military and in manufacturing jobs.
``Many of the black men who were previously in the military or factory workers are entering college now because it provides more opportunities,'' she said. ``The black man has never been stupid; he knows that it takes money to live a decent life.''
Virginia's numbers reflect a nationwide trend. Overall male enrollment in colleges dropped 1 percent, from 6,502,000 in 1991 to 6,428,000 in 1993, the last year figures were recorded by the American Council on Education. Black male enrollment in that time rose 4.4 percent, from 517,000 to 540,000.
Carlton Brown, dean of Hampton's School of Liberal Arts and Education, said the percentage of students who are black males at historically black colleges is ``roughly the same'' as the percentage who are white males at predominantly white schools.
On the Peninsula, the percentage of students at Hampton University who are black males matches the proportion of students at Christopher Newport University who are white males - 33 percent.
In Norfolk, 37 percent of the students at Old Dominion University are white males; 30 percent of the students at Norfolk State University are black males.
Enrolling black males is only the first step, university administrators say. Schools also have to ensure that they stay to get their diplomas. ``Every university I know is having problems with retention,'' said Patricia Cavender, director of admissions at ODU.
``If you look across the board,'' Brown said, ``you will find that after the freshman year, the number of black males at historically white institutions takes a drastic drop.
``Most institutions are totally unprepared to deal with the reality African-American males bring to an environment. Consequently, they miss out on the mentoring and care that every other group at most institutions receive.''
Brown said the solution begins way before college, in elementary and secondary schools. ``High schools need to be held more accountable for their nurturing care. . . . When males are in conflict with each other, there should be school intervention and not just saying, `It's a shame,' and putting monitors at the bus stop.''
Officials at Hampton, Norfolk State and ODU say they, too, are working to attract more black males to college.
Eight years ago, NSU began a program recruiting black males into the School of Education, primarily as early childhood and special education majors.
``It's a good employment area, the men have good talents and more male role models are needed, particularly black males,'' said Elaine P. Witty, the education dean at Norfolk State. ``There are not always men in the home, so more stable men are needed in the schools. Having them in early-education levels helps.''
Hampton University's programs include the Hampton Opportunity Program for Enhancement (HOPE), which annually admits 25 promising African-American males who don't meet the university's SAT or grade requirements.
They get $1,000-a-year scholarships and intensive tutoring, counseling and regular seminars on topics such as ways to improve grades, said Donovan Rose, an assistant football coach and the program coordinator.
``After their freshman year,'' he said ``they are caught up with the mainstream. . . . They have gone on to law school, graduate school and the work force.''
All three schools also have Upward Bound programs to counsel and tutor black high school students. And Cavender said that ODU tries to reach out to African Americans.
``We host a variety of minority activities,'' she said. ``We send recruitment letters and have African-American callers talk to African Americans while recruiting. We use black males as leaders and role models.'' ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
``I'm surprised the number of black males in college continues to
rise,'' said Victor Ledbetter, vice president of Hampton
University's Student Government Association. ``The media . . .
always say that there are more blacks in jail than in college.''
KEYWORDS: BLACK MALE COLLEGE STUDENT UNIVERSITY by CNB