Despite Universities efforts, black enrollment at UM is down

To say the University of Michigan is aggressive in its efforts to recruit black students would be a monumental understatement. Aside from the University's famed victory at the Supreme Court, apparently the University President is personally visiting black churches to recruit black students. But for some reason it isn't working.

From the Ann Arbor News:

"The University of Michigan this fall has the highest enrollment in its history, but one group of students that the university is working to increase - black students entering with the freshman class - has declined. The fall freshman class of 5,339 includes 330 black students - the fewest in nearly a decade. Black freshmen make up 6.4 percent of the class, down from 7.5 percent last year... Because [the] university wanted its freshman class to be smaller, it offered admission to fewer students. But part of that equation this year is alarming to U-M officials because fewer black students applied while the applications from all other students went up. Applications from black students dropped by 5 percent. Overall, applications were up 8 percent to 25,806, just short of a record set in 2003."

I've never been a big fan of the government treating people differently based on the color of their skin. And my own personal anecdotal experience seems to suggest that race-based affirmative action programs don't help the downtrodden, but often give wealthy black students who are on the bubble academically an unfair advantage over other students similarly situated. On November 2, Michigan residents will vote on whether or not to effectively outlaw affirmative action in the state. Interesting that it seems to be taking care of itself somewhat here at U of M.