Los Angeles is the picture of diversity.
UCLA, however, is not.
The University of California is prohibited from using race as a factor in the admissions process due to California Proposition 209, which was passed in 1996. The University has consequently implemented a class-based admissions approach, which doesn’t take race into consideration.
UCLA’s recent methods of getting a more diverse student body include high school visits and partnering with faith-based organizations. The UC system also implemented the Early Academic Outreach Program in 1976 to help students prepare for college by providing them with academic advising and information about the application process.
Needless to say, these mechanisms have been wildly unsuccessful in fostering campus diversity.
Gary Clark, UCLA’s director of undergraduate admissions, said the university currently does outreach in local high schools around Los Angeles to encourage minority, first-generation and other underrepresented students to apply.
“Recruitment isn’t about driving up the volume,” Clark said. “It’s about attracting high-quality students who will be competitive in the process who can engage with students like them and have a diverse undergrad experience.”
However, the impact of these programs has been on the number of applications, not on the number of enrolled underrepresented students. Just about 11% and 9% of black and Latino applicants, respectively, were admitted to UCLA in 2018. These low admit numbers contribute to the 3% African American and 22% Hispanic population on campus.
Enrollment should be the focus instead of admissions. Black and Latino students have lower retention and graduation rates than white students. So even if there is a more diverse pool of applicants, the university can’t call that a victory and forget about those students. Moreover, the recent college admissions scandal only serves to prove that those who are rich and white have a leg up in university admissions.
Because UCLA cannot use race as a factor in admissions, it must increase outreach to underrepresented communities and establish roots within these communities on an admissions level. The university must make it a priority to reach out to communities year-round and support student organizations that foster diversity, through partnerships and funding. Just visiting schools to drive up the volume of applications isn’t enough to increase diversity on campus.
UCLA has yet to recover from the effects of Prop 209. In 1995, 7.1% of the university’s undergraduate student body was African American. In 2005, that number plummeted to 2.8%. Similarly, Latino students represented 21.6% of UCLA students in 1995 before the number dropped to 14.5% in 2005. Though both black and Latino enrollment have increased since, members of those communities are still sorely underadmitted at the university.
In addition, UCLA isn’t focusing on programs that make the campus seem welcoming to students of color. Rather than providing institutional support, the university has relied on student groups to make its campus appear supportive of people of color.
The Afrikan Student Union, for example, puts on events such as Admit Weekend. The event brings admitted students to UCLA, houses them and gives them food, so they can experience the black community on campus.
Isaiah Njoku, chair of the ASU, said a lack of support from the administration puts too much pressure on the organization to recruit and console the entire black community.
“With the amount of work we have to take up as the ASU – and not getting paid for the support for the diversity that UCLA wants so heavily – it needs to change,” Njoku said. “It’s not our job. We should not have to be retaining ourselves. UCLA should be taking care of us.”
If students of color don’t see themselves represented on campus, it’s hard for them to see themselves going to UCLA. The burden of retention and graduation of minority students shouldn’t fall on the minority students, but on the university.
“Consistently over the years, UCLA has not supported the minorities and underrepresented communities,” Njoku said. “For (the recent admissions scandal) to arise shows UCLA is not continually trying to counteract the inequality for students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This perpetuates segregation of the communities.”
If the university wants to improve its students of color population, it needs to take a hard look at how it recruits and whether it is putting enough funding and time into cultivating this community on campus. UCLA should work on increasing funding for student organizations and work alongside them to revise and improve its community outreach while also maintaining close bonds with high schools.
Some may argue UCLA already has programs to engage with students across Los Angeles. The Early Academic Outreach Program, Project Welcome, and the Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement office all work to increase the diversity at UCLA. However, there’s significant room for improvement. There is still rampant underrepresentation in the undergraduate student body that pamphlets and words alone won’t mitigate.
UCLA has a lot of work ahead of it. Someday, though, it might actually look like the city it calls home.