STAFF EDIT: Increasing Enrollment

In response to a national conference vote for expanded affirmative action, Boston University recently announced that racial quotas will remain nonexistent in its admissions process. This is smart, as racial quotas are more discriminatory than helpful. However, something must be done to improve the state of African-American enrollment at the University.

Currently, the application process is blind to race in an effort to accept only the most qualified students for each year’s class. At the same time, one of the main goals of the admissions department is to build well-rounded and diverse classes. This has not been the case, as not nearly enough African-Americans come to the University for it to qualify as racially diverse. To increase racial diversity, the race of the applicants would have to be considered to some degree.

The University has found itself in between a rock and a hard place. BU administrators are constantly looking to raise standards to bring the University into a higher tier of academic institutions. If BU wants to continue in its quest to rise its academic ranking, it must keep its blind selection process and accept only the most capable students. Consequently, it risks suffering a low level of racial diversity.

However, BU must concentrate on attracting African-Americans to the campus. The current African-American population on campus stands at a mere 2-3 percent of the student body. If so few African Americans are currently enrolled at BU, it would not be unreasonable for prospective applicants to deem this an uncomfortable environment.

It is wise to refrain from initiating racial quotas for admissions at BU, but steps must be taken toward improving racial diversity on campus. University administrators must strike a balance between attracting the most qualified and diverse students for their student body.