RACIAL MAKEUP OF STUDENT BODY

AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE 1.8%

metro
HISPANIC 13.3%
THE METROPOLITANBLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN,
« OCTOBER 2, 2008 NON-HISPANIC
« A3 5.7%
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 0.6% ALL OTHERS, UNKNOWN 8.2%

» drinking leads to possible sga impeachment »A5 ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISALNDER 4.4%

» sexual assault reported »A7

» auraria eyes new home for athletic fields »A7
WHITE, NON-HISPANIC
TARA MOBERLY » NEWS 66.5%
EDITOR » tmoberly@mscd.edu

Metro looks for long-term growth

By ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE AGE MAKEUP OF STUDENT BODY
spencand@mscd.edu 10000 MEA
20-24
25
The Office of Institutional Research re-
MED
leased its yearly student census data this month, 8000
and at first glance, the numbers appear to have 23

NUMBER OF STUDENTS
changed little.
Most of the movement in student demo-
graphics from one semester to the next can be 6000
measured in tenths of a percent and are due to
a complex list of reasons.
But several organizations at Metro endeavor 25-29
to move those numbers.
4000 19 OR YOUNGER
Metro has a range of recruiting events
throughout the year designed to bring more
students in general to the college, but in recent 2000 30-34
Photo by LInh NGO/lngo@mscd.edu years the college has begun looking into alter-
45 OR OLDER
Barack Obama speaks Sept. 30 at Mountain native ways to reach out to prospective stu- 35-39
dents. And they are finding that the answer is 40-44
Range High School in Denver .
more than just marketing. 0
Stars align for “It can’t just be about recruiting new stu-
dents,” said Elena Sandoval-Lucero, Metro’s
2006 2007 2008

Obama; stop at director of admissions and outreach. Reach-

ing the college’s goals means not only going out
ETHNIC MAKEUP
RACIAL MAKEUP OFOF STUDENT
STUDENT BODY BODY
AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE 1.8%

Auraria to stump and finding new students, but equally impor-

By DOMINIC GRAZIANO
dgrazia1@mscd.edu
Stars will be shining on Auraria, Oct. 4,
when Eva Longoria and Kal Penn make a stop
for the Students for Barack
´ Obama Campus Tour.
2008
Penn has only recently
THE ELECTION started volunteering for the
Obama camp. The Harold and
Kumar star originally stumped for Howard Dean
during the 2008 primaries.
The youth vote is especially important to
Penn, who has spoken at numerous college and
high school campuses across the country.
Longoria, known for her role on ABC’s Des-
perate Housewives, originally supported Hillary
Clinton for the 2008 Democratic presidential
nominee, but has since switched her attention
tant is making sure that the new recruits stay
in school, she said. “We have to keep the ones
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 0.6%
HISPANIC 13.3% BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, NON-HISPANIC 5.7%
ALL OTHERS, UNKNOWN 8.2%
ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISALNDER 4.4%
that enroll.”
Sandoval-Lucero said that, because the
cost of recruiting a new student was four times
AVERAGE AGE
25.77
higher than the cost of retaining one, focusing
the college’s resources on retention was the
most cost effective way to increase long-term
WHITE, NON-HISPANIC 66.5%
enrollment. MEDIAN AGE
The demographic that increased most this
year over last was the Asian and Pacific Island- 23
ers, what many are calling a success of the
Asian Student Discovery Day held in April.
The college’s Asian and Pacific student By NIC GARCIA/information from Fall 2008 Census Report
numbers had long hovered slightly below 4 per- MEAN AGE
group tries to10000
cent of the total student population. In the last
four years, the percentage went up one tenth of
impress on the prospective stu-
dents that coming to Metro is career building.
help students navigate the paperwork.
In its second year at Metro,
20-24 HSI is a program
25.77
1 percent. This year they went up almost half a The goal of Asian Student Discovery Day is MEDIAN AGE
that grants millions of dollars in federal support
8000 with Metro professors and
percent, to 4.4 percent.
But Sandoval-Lucero does not credit last
to connect students
community business leaders, such as the Asian
to colleges with 25 percent Hispanic enrollment
or more.
23
NUMBER OF STUDENTS

to Obama.
Longoria has said that Obama seems will-
ing to fight for good medical coverage, advocate
protecting a woman’s right to choose and push
crucial women’s rights legislation through Con-
gress.
CSI: Miami star Adam Rodriguez will also
be stopping by Auraria in support of Obama.
Rodriguez has called Obama “the people’s
leader” in interviews and cites Obama’s dedica-
tion to immigration reform and education.
Oct. 2, John McCain will hold a women’s
town hall meeting at the Sheraton Grand Hotel
in Denver. The event will start at 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 3, McCain will be in Pueblo for another
meeting at 11 a.m. at Colorado State Univer-
sity.
McCain’s visit to Pueblo comes less than
a month after Obama visited the Democratic
stronghold in southern Colorado.
spring’s Asian Discovery Day with the increase
in Asian students this fall. Many factors can
contribute to increased enrollment, she said.
“Given the fact that Metro State offers Col-
orado’s best value among four-year schools in
higher education combined with the current
economy, our tuition rates make us a very at-
tractive option for students who may have oth-
erwise gone elsewhere,” she said.
Ray Moroye, assistant professor in the De-
partment of Hospitality, Tourism and Events,
who organized the Asian Student Discovery Day,
is hesitant to claim the rise in Asian students
alone as a victory for the recruitment event.
“There are many complicated factors in-
volved in a student choosing one school over
another,” Moroye said. “The fundamental thing
is getting them to understand that education is
the key to moving up in life.”
Moroye said he established the Asian Stu-
dents Discovery Day to reach out to a growing
segment of population in Denver. He said his
Chamber of Denver, so students not only get an But the increase in Hispanic enrollment over
education, but 6000
they graduate with the network last year is 0.1 percent, making Metro’s Hispan-
of connections they need to succeed in the busi- ic population 13.3 percent of the college’s stu-
ness world. dent body, 11.7 percent away from HSI goals. If
25-29
4000
Judy Diaz-Bonaquisti, assistant vice-presi- the HSI committees goals 19 areORto be reached by
YOUNGER
dent of enrollment services, said the key to both the proposed 2018 date, an increase of 1 full
recruitment and retention is impressing on stu- percentage point per semester is needed, or ten
2000
dents the benefits of getting a college degree. times the increase of this year
30-34over last.
One factor is if students have at least one Diaz-Bonaquisti said everyone
45 OR OLDERon the HIS
person in their family that35-39
has gone to college committee knows they have a lot of work to do
40-44
– simply having someone
0 to ask about how to to reach the 25 percent. After spending all last
file all the paperwork can make2006the difference. 2007
year planning and making 2008 recommendations,
“It can be a very intimidating process if you she is excited they are finally getting down to
didn’t have parents who went through it,” Diaz- work.
Bonaquisti said. “A lot of parents want to help “Our staff is out on the road right now this
but maybe don’t know how to help. A lot of par- fall recruiting students who will come in Janu-
ents value it but don’t know where to go to get ary and next fall, but this is a long process,” she
the information.” said.
Diaz-Bonaquisti who is co-chair of the com- She says not to expect a sudden bump in
mittee aiming to get the college designated a Hispanic student numbers.
Hispanic Serving Institution said Metro has “On the Recruitment side, it takes years to
people in admissions and financial aid who can see the fruit of those labors.”