Minority Report

AUSTIN, Texas — From an official UT press release:

For the first time in the history of The University of Texas at Austin, fewer than half of the fall semester's first-time freshmen are white students, according to a preliminary analysis.

The report, provided by Kristi Fisher, associate vice provost and director of the Office of Information Management and Analysis, shows the number of first-time freshmen who identified their ethnicity/race as "white" on admissions information total 47.6 percent. The university's overall total white student population, including graduate, Pharmacy Doctorate and law students, is 52.1 percent.

The figures reflect changes in the demographics of Texas. The Office of the State Demographer, Texas State Data Center, estimates the state's ethnicity in 2010 to be 45.1 percent Anglo (white), 38.8 percent Hispanic, 11.5 percent black and 4.6 percent other. The state's ethnic/race distribution by 2020 is projected to change to 37.6 percent Anglo (white), 45.2 percent Hispanic, 11.2 percent black and 6 percent other.

Fisher said that starting this fall, ethnic/racial categories are being reported in accordance with newly implemented federal and state guidelines. Reporting categories are consistent with those adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) for the fall 2010 reporting cycle. Reporting changes include the introduction of two new race-reporting categories, "Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander" and "Two or More."

Students identifying themselves in more than one category with one being Hispanic are reported in the "Hispanic" category only, in accordance with federal guidelines. Students identifying themselves as black, or in more than one category with one being black (and not Hispanic), are reported in the "total black" category. All other students identifying themselves in more than one category (neither Hispanic nor black) are reported in the "Two or More" category.

Editors Note: This procedure has already lead to complaints from multiracial students, basically questioning the value if a two-or-more category if they’re still going to be labeled as just black or just Hispanic.

Information describing the process of adopting new race and ethnic categories for students, faculty and staff members was described in an Oct. 15, 2009 university press release that may be viewed online.

Based on this reporting system, a preliminary analysis shows first-time freshmen enrollment figures increased for Hispanic and total black ethnic/race groups, as well as for foreign students. The ethnic/racial distribution of fall 2010 first-time freshmen enrollment is as follows:

• The white only category is 47.6 percent (3,464 students) compared to 51.1 percent (3,700 students) in fall 2009.
• The Hispanic (any combination) category is 23.1 percent (1,680 students) compared to 20.8 percent (1,503 students) in fall 2009.
• The black total category is 5.1 percent (372 students) compared to 4.9 percent (354 students) in fall 2009.
• The Asian only category is 17.3 percent (1,260 students) compared to 19.6 percent (1,423 students) in fall 2009.
• The American Indian only category is 0.2 percent (15 students) compared to 0.4 percent (29 students) in 2009.
• The Native Hawaiian category is 0.1 percent (four students); this is a new reporting category for fall 2010.
• The two or more — not Hispanic or black — category is 2.6 percent (190 students); this is a new reporting category for fall 2010.
• The foreign student category is 3.9 percent (282 students) compared to 3.2 percent (230 students) in fall 2009.
• The "unknown" category is 0.1 percent (10 students) compared to 0.1 percent (four students) in fall 2009.

Fisher said her office compiles 10-year trends for ethnic/racial distributions of first-time freshmen (fall and summer combined). They show that since fall 2000, the proportional representation of Hispanic first-time freshmen has increased by 11.9 percent, total black freshmen by 1.8 percent and Asian freshmen by 4.9 percent. The proportional representation of white first-time freshmen has decreased by 12.8 percent, from 60.4 percent in fall 2000 to 47.6 percent in 2010.