Minority enrollment up at Southern Nevada colleges

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, March 22, 2001 | 10:52 a.m.

Enrollment at the community college and university in Southern Nevada has slowed under the weight of an economic slowdown, but an increase in the number of minorities attending institutions of higher education is on the rise, new figures show.

Although Community College of Southern Nevada realized a 5.4 percent increase in enrollment between spring 2000-2001, UNLV posted an even poorer showing with less than a 1 percent increase, university officials said.

Of those who did enroll during spring this year, Hispanics were the largest group to do so at CCSN, with an increase of 13.4 percent over spring 2000. The second highest increase came from enrollment of African-Americans -- 9.4 percent, according to numbers obtained from CCSN.

At UNLV the pattern was similar. Hispanic enrollment increased by 12.6 percent. Asian/Pacific Islanders held the second spot with a 6.6 percent increase.

"The increase in the Hispanic population is not only happening regionally in southern Nevada but is happening nationally," said Theo Byrns, CCSN's interim vice president of academic affairs. "Our college is a reflection of the population trends. Also, I think we do a good job of appealing to diverse populations."

CCSN had reached an all-time high in enrollment in 1998-1999. Those numbers have been being questioned by a recent attorney general investigation, which alleges the figures might have been artificially boosted.

The dip in enrollment from previous years is a result of several changes in the marketplace, such as a slowdown in construction and severe cuts in the schools free-class program, Byrns said.

"What adjustments we went through, we did it last year," Byrns said.

"We're in the spring semester and we will now have a baseline." The so-called "baseline" will give the school a realistic watermark to follow in coming years rather than comparing enrollment numbers to past figures, which have proved questionable, Byrns said.

Whether economic influences are at work in regard to Southern Nevada's low enrollment numbers is unclear, said Keith Schwer, director at UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research.

"Schools typically do better during downturns because many people return for job retraining," Schwer said.

It is important to note that spring enrollment numbers are usually lower than fall, when schools receive most of their new freshmen.

"The general trend in enrollment has been extraordinarily strong, and I don't think this year's data is anything but a blip on the radar screen," said Sherwin Iverson, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs.