As the semester comes to an end, some students find themselves lacking the credits needed to complete their degree, often leading to extra semesters at school.

In a recent survey conducted by the Department of Education, a gap has been found in the college graduation rate of Latino and black students compared to white students.

Syracuse University students said there are many factors that contribute to the department’s statistics.

The Department of Education found that 39 percent of black students and 42 percent of Latinos graduate from degree-granting institutions within six years. This is lower compared to the 58 percent of white students who graduate and the 55 percent of overall college students.

Additionally, only 19 percent of blacks and Latinos graduate in four years. This is 17 percent lower then that of white students.

However, minority students find there are many factors such as finances, cultural isolation, self-motivation and a lack of university support that contribute to the low graduation rate.

‘Most minorities feel that they have more pressures put on them,’ said Christy Pankey, a freshman chemistry major. ‘Some people who want to fit in find that in order to do that, they have to spend money.’

Pankey said the student population of a private institution such as SU tends to be of the higher and middle classes, while most of the minorities are from New York City and the surrounding boroughs and do not have the financial resources that the majority has available to them.

Pankey also said, when she sees white students spending their money generously, she cannot compete. This is a factor that adds to minorities befriending within their own race and ethnic groups and not wanting to expand outside.

Even though some students are away from home does not mean that they do not have family and financial responsibilities as well. Some students must work, go to school and attend to the needs of their families, whether it is emotional or financial, Pankey said.

‘When I first came to SU, it was a real culture shock,’ said Rudy Hernandez, a junior marketing and supply chain major. ‘You have to take the initiative to go out and join clubs if you want to meet people from other backgrounds.’

Minority students find they are often culturally isolated, Hernandez said. This is due to growing up in communities where the majority population is black and Latino. Coming to a large university where the majority is white suburban students is intimidating, and most minorities find themselves pursuing activities and friendships that they are used to, he said.

‘I think a lot of people don’t know what college is about,’ said Emman Ebosie, a senior engineering and computer science major and member of the National Society of Black Engineers. ‘(To most minorities), college is a place to get away from home. They don’t even know until sophomore year that (college) determines your life.’

Being away from home for the first time, partying and going out with friends all contribute to poor grades and an extended college career, Ebosie said. Professional organizations, such as the National Society of Black Engineers provide support and services to minority students.

A lot of students get caught up in alcohol, relationships and other such things, said Jeff Vargas, a junior engineering and computer science major.

However, most minority students agree that the biggest contributing factor in how long they stay in college is their previous education and the resources available to them at SU.

‘One factor is AP credits. My school only had AP Spanish, but other schools offer many more credits,’ Vargas. ‘For me personally, now taking 18 credits is not do-able. I have to go to classes and work, so it would have been nice to have that option in high school.’

Like Vargas, many students from New York City and the surrounding boroughs find the public school system is much poorer quality then that of private institutions. As finances also determine which high schools students can attend, most minorities find they have to go to the quality public schools.

SU offers programs to aid students in their studies, Vargas said. Programs such as C-Step work with students in a tutoring and study group environment.

Also, SummerStart is an opportunity for incoming freshmen, mostly made up of minorities from New York City, to take summer courses and make friends before the school year begins. This helps them assimilate into a social and academic environment at SU, Vargas said.

‘The percentage of those who do SummerStart has increased the percentage of those graduating,’ Vargas said.

Published on April 30, 2005 at 12:00 pm