SAN MARCOS – As minority enrollment steadily increases at Texas State University, some students point out the importance of representation for diverse groups on campus.
According to the office of Institutional Research at Texas State, as the overall university enrollment rate increased in recent years, so too have the rates of minority students.
Jackline Ledezma, a political science junior, said clubs for different races and ethnicities are a valuable resource for students.
“I can see that we are gaining diversity from the different people who come here,” said Ledezma. “Student clubs show that Texas State is doing a pretty good job in representing every race group and ethnicity. It benefits the university a lot because it allows us to be more conscience of other people’s customs and traditions.”
As of fall 2016, according to the university’s office of Institutional Research, Hispanic and African-American students account for over 44 percent of enrollment at Texas State.
Sunena Chandra, a chemistry graduate student, is a member of the Indian Students Association (ISA) at Texas State. She said clubs such as ISA allow students to share their cultures with the campus.
“We try to project our culture and have people become familiar with it,” said Chandra. “Texas State has welcomed the experiences gained from other cultures. We have to continue to create good representation as the campus grows because diversity is important for students to grow.”
Andy Carlson is a senior principal policy analyst at the State Higher Education Executive Officers. He said a lack of diversity can lead to bigger problems and it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.
“From an economic perspective, more diversity is the only way to increase college degree attainment and completion rates, which will lead to stronger state and national economies,” said Carlson. “Without minority inclusion, those students can sometimes feel left behind. Diversity and representation goes a long way, especially in universities. I believe in having a diverse society because there’s nothing but good that could come from it.”
