More Freshmen Returning to UCSD : Improvements Ease Path for Minorities in Particular

More freshmen--and especially minority students--are returning to UC San Diego for their sophomore year and university officials attribute the increase to improved housing and recreation, as well as the addition of courses in communications and engineering.

Of the freshman class of 3,031 students in the fall of 1984, 84% returned in the fall of 1985, up from the 79% return rate of the previous two years, according to a study by the UCSD registrar’s office. Of those who did not return, about a third dropped out and the rest transferred to UCLA, UC Berkeley or other schools.

“We feel that the best sign for us is that freshman year attrition has been moving down steadily,” said UCSD Vice Chancellor Joseph Watson. “It’s clear that the students who come to us are having their needs met in an increasing fashion.”

Comparing fall 1985 with fall 1983, the return rate among blacks increased from 66% to 77% and among Latinos from 70% to 79%. These two groups make up roughly 10% of the undergraduate enrollment.

“There’s a sense of being part of an institution that is growing and committed to students in an academic sense and in personal and social development,” said Carmel Myers, assistant vice chancellor for academic services.

A major reason for the increase is that on-campus housing capacity has risen from 2,900 to 3,800 beds in the last two years, with another 1,000 beds planned for 1988. The school in the past has guaranteed housing only for the freshman year, but this fall the guarantee will cover both freshman and sophomore years.

A second magnet has been academic diversity, including a new communications department and more engineering courses, Watson said. A fifth college planned for 1988 will emphasize international studies, and a new graduate school in international relations with a focus on Pacific Basin countries could attract additional students.

Watson said closer movie theaters, a new pool and competitive teams in soccer, volleyball and swimming are responsible for an “increasing school spirit” that keeps students interested, and that a student “living room”--an $18.6-million University Center with a theater, restaurants and meeting rooms--should attract students when it opens in 1988.

Minorities are returning in increasing numbers because of “an increased programmatic focus on these groups,” including tutoring and a six-week pre-freshman orientation, he said.

“We have worked hard to make sure that each student’s entrance into UCSD is as smooth as possible and that, if they have difficulties, they can have their questions and concerns addressed,” Watson said.

He said he hopes that the return rate for UCSD sophomores will reach levels comparable to those at UCLA and private colleges.

“We’re shooting to get it up to 90% in the next five years,” he said. “We’ve been making a big effort on retention and it’s finally starting to pay off.”

The registrar’s office also is calculating the number of freshmen who stay at UCSD for four years and graduate, and although official figures are not yet available, Watson said the number is about 60%.