The UCLA Registrar’s Office released information Thursday
that suggests a significant rise in the number of self-identified
Latina/o and Chicana/o UCLA students on academic probation since
the end of spring quarter 2003.
The documents contained statistics revealing a 72 percent
increase in the number of self-identified undergraduate
Chicano/Mexican American students on academic probation or who were
subject to dismissal.
Among students who identify themselves as Latino, Spanish or
other Spanish American, 67 students were placed on academic
probation at the end of winter 2003 ““ a 46 percent increase
from spring 2003.
According to UCLA policy, students are placed on academic
probation if their term or overall GPA falls below a 2.0 but is
above or equal to a 1.5. After being on academic probation,
students have two quarters to get their overall GPA back to at or
above a 2.0. If a term GPA falls below a 2.0 while on probation or
the overall GPA is not at or above a 2.0 within two terms, a
student will then be subject to dismissal.
University officials were reluctant to release the statistics,
initially citing legal statutes which protect students against the
publication or release of personally identifiable information and
may violate a student’s right to privacy. But as the
statistics do not specify individual students, the information was
made public and released last week.
University counsel Patricia Jasper expressed skepticism on
whether the statistics reveal an accurate picture about the
academic situation in UCLA’s Latina/o, Mexican American and
Chicana/o communities.
Along with the requested information, Jasper offered a caveat to
the apparent rise of the specified students on academic
probation.
In a letter to the Daily Bruin, Jasper said people need to
remember that the statistics include only students who have
self-identified their ethnicity. Since not all such students allow
their information to be made public, Jasper states it is difficult
to tell how accurate the statistics really are in determining
possible academic trends.
“It is not possible to generalize whether the numbers of
such students subject to academic action have increased, decreased
or stayed the same because the “˜universe’ of students
is not complete,” Jasper wrote.
Despite the caution, the statistics raised concerns within the
Latina/o communities.
Cindy Mosqueda, a UCLA alumna and director of MEChA Calmecac, a
student-run and student-funded retention program focused on
increasing graduation rates with UCLA’s Latina/o communities,
said it is the single largest increase she’s seen since she
assumed her current position in 2002.
Around fifth week of every quarter, Mosqueda said Calmecac
receives a list from the Registrar’s Office of the names of
all self-identified Latina/o and Chicana/o students currently on
academic probation or subject to dismissal. Upon receipt of the
list, Mosqueda said her organization sends letters to those
students, urging them to take advantage of the numerous services
and resources Calmecac provides.
“It’s important for students to know what their
options are and that they take preventative measures to avoid being
placed on academic probation,” Mosqueda said, adding she
doesn’t plan to take any special course of action despite the
unprecedented rise in academic probation students.
Henry Pacheco, a fourth-year political science and founder of
Hermanos Unidos, an all-male Latino support group focused on
community service and professional networking, said some students
may not know what resources are available.
“A lot of people don’t know about them or simply
don’t use them,” Pacheco said.