UB rates well in efforts to diversify student body, OIA data reveals

By BRENT CUNNINGHAM
Reporter Staff

In its attempts to diversify the student body, UB stacks up well against the best mid-sized public universities, according to data released last week by the Office of Institutional Analysis. The study looked at the percentage of total university degrees that went to minority students in 1994-95.

Areas of particular strength for UB included overall bachelor's degrees awarded to minority students (16 percent by UB vs. 11 percent by peer institutions) and overall doctoral degrees awarded to minority students (12 percent by UB vs. 9 percent by peer institutions).

Master's degrees were awarded to minority students in roughly similar percentages (8 percent by UB vs. 9 percent by peer institutions).

Professional degrees were not as diversified as those of peer institutions, however. Overall, 14 percent of UB first-professional degrees were awarded to minority students, while peer institutions averaged 19 percent.

The "peer institutions" in the study were the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Iowa and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

These are the same institutions Provost Thomas E. Headrick mentioned in his Academic Planning Report as among "the best mid-sized public AAU universities," a group within which UB should work to be recognized.

The study breaks down the number of minority degrees by discipline:

- Bachelor's Degrees: UB was significantly more diversified than its peers in architecture and related programs, physical sciences, liberal arts and sciences/general studies and humanities, and area, ethnic and cultural studies. Bachelor's degrees at peer institutions were slightly more diversified in engineering, interdisciplinary studies, communications and visual and performing arts. In 1994-95, no bachelor's degrees were awarded to minority students in philosophy and religion.

- Master's Degrees: UB was more diversified in the disciplines of liberal arts and sciences/general studies and humanities, multi/interdisciplinary studies, and area, ethnic and cultural studies. Although UB awards master's degrees in communications, philosophy and religion, and English language and literature/letters, none of these degrees went to minority students in 1994-95.

- Doctoral Degrees: UB compared favorably in the disciplines of engineering, physical sciences, biology sciences/life sciences, mathematics and social sciences and history. Substantially fewer doctoral degrees went to minorities in communications, business management and administrative services, area, ethnic and cultural studies, philosophy and religion, health professions and related sciences, English language and literature/letters, and foreign languages and literature.

- Professional Degrees: Peer institutions awarded significantly more first-professional degrees to minority students in health professions and related sciences, and slightly more in law and legal studies.