University of Virginia Library

Better Recruiting
Hoped To Attract
More Negroes

By Nate Manns
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

New and intensified recruiting
policies by the Office of
Admissions have increased the
number of new Negro students here
at the University this year with the
number to continue growing next
year as further procedures are
initiated.

This year there are more new
black undergraduates attending the
University than there have been
black applicants in any past year.
Twenty-nine Negroes applied to
either the College, the Engineering
School, or the Architecture School
for session 1968-69.

Nineteen Admitted

Of this number, nineteen met
the qualifications of the University
and 12 chose to attend this fall. In
the past, there had never been more
than ten applications for any one
year to the undergraduate schools.

Ernest H. Ern, Dean of
Admissions, stated that his office
plans to make the University
known to high school students in
every high school in the state of
Virginia. Two new means are being
implemented to attract Negro
students to the University.

Guidance Conference

First, the admissions office has
invited the guidance counselors
from every high school in the state
to attend a conference to inform
them of what the University can
offer Negro and underprivileged
students.

Another method that will be
employed in recruiting will be the
use of Negro students already
attending the University to visit
various high schools throughout the
state and to talk to Negroes there.
This approach is a voluntary effort
on the part of the University black
students.

Although the intensified
recruiting for this year and the new
policies planned for next year
should continue to attract more
Negro students to the University,
the percentage of Negroes to whites
studying here is still small, with 12
black first-year men out of 1,400
entering students, noted can Ern.

Several reasons were given for
this small percentage. One problem
that the admissions office
discovered in talking to Negroes in
nearby counties was that there are
Negroes who just do not know that
there is a University in
Charlottesville. It is hoped that the
increased recruiting will be able to
alleviate this problem.

Many block students who have
heard of the University picture the
Grounds as a bastion of Southern
aristocracy. This image of the
University will not be easily erased
because of the tenacity of
reputation and because, in some
areas of the University,
discrimination does exist, Mr. Ern
said.

Many Negroes and
underprivileged students do not
apply because of financial problems
and because of sub-standard high
school educations. Dean Ern
stressed the fact that the Office of
Financial Aid will do everything
possible to help the individual
student finance his education with
either scholarships, loans, jobs, or a
combination of the three.

Inadequate Preparation

Since many of the schools that
are predominantly Negro offer
sub-standard education, a
disproportionate number of black
high school students are
inadequately prepared to meet the
University's requirements for
acceptance.

The simple fact that there are
few Negro students currently
enrolled in the University now
makes many Negroes hesitant to
apply, said Mr. Ern. He expressed
hope that the recruiting process
making use of Negro students will
help to alleviate this problem.

Although there are many
reasons why the number of Negroes
here is so small, the Office of
Admissions hopes that its new
recruiting policies will raise the
percentage of Negroes attending the
University.