State colleges in California have begun a new effort to recruit African American students. Going to churches.
Officials from the California State University system have been pioneering a program of seeking new prospective African-American students in church pews — a program that’s serving as a model for similar efforts elsewhere, reports a story today on NPR.org.
“Blacks make up about 6.6 percent of California’s population, according to 2011 census data. Jorge Haynes, a Cal State spokesman, said the university system’s African-American population is 5 percent.
“California is at the leading edge of a demographic shift affecting the country. The state’sHispanic population is slated to become its majority ethnic group by 2014.
Given this shift, according to the Los Angeles Times, ‘colleges have to work harder to attract African-American, Latino and other underrepresented students.’And last year, a federal court upheld a ban of race-based admissions in the state’s school system. Continue reading “College recruiting from churches”