As the Hispanic population in Iowa is on the rise, more Hispanic students are entering Iowa State.

New U.S. Census Bureau figures show a 74 percent increase in the Hispanic population in Iowa from 1990 to 1998. The total Hispanic population of 56,937 surpassed the African American total of 56,880, making Hispanics the largest minority group in Iowa.

Similarly, a new record was set this fall at ISU for the enrollment of freshman Hispanic students.

The number of Hispanic freshmen rose from 53 in the fall of 1998 to 77 this fall, a 45.3 percent increase, said David Bousquet, assistant vice president for enrollment services.

However, the total number of undergraduate Hispanic students remained stable from 1990 to 1998, said Registrar Kathy Jones.

According to the ISU Web page, 303 undergraduate Hispanic students were enrolled in fall 1998 as well as in fall 1999. Throughout the last five years, the number of Hispanic undergraduate students has hovered around 300.

“The percent of Hispanic students as a whole is smaller because enrollment of the entire university continues to increase,” Jones said.

Rafael Rodriguez, director of Minority Student Affairs, said the state’s increased Hispanic population is not reflected in ISU undergraduate enrollment statistics because Hispanics moving into the state are part of young families.

“What’s happening is the increase in the people in Iowa are young families without college-age students, and it’s going to be a while before we see that,” Rodriguez said. “You can see the increase at the elementary and middle school levels.”

In addition to a record-setting freshman enrollment rate, 10 National Hispanic Scholars chose ISU this fall — the highest number in the university’s history.

“[The increase] is a result of a consistent universitywide effort to attract and recruit more Hispanic students,” Bousquet said.

In the past year, ISU turned campus visits into an effective method of recruiting minority students, he said.

Arrangements were made for students to meet with faculty, the deans of their respective colleges and ISU President Martin Jischke.

“For example, a young [Hispanic] lady from California chose to attend Iowa State over Berkeley in part because she had the opportunity to meet with Dean [Walter] Gmelch in the College of Education when she was here on a campus visit,” Bousquet said.

Hector Avalos, director of Latino studies, said Hispanic students also are discovering the strength of the Latino studies program at ISU.

“This spring, for the first time in Iowa State history, a U.S. Latino history course will be offered,” he said. “There is a rapid advancement in Latino studies at ISU.”

Hispanic students also consider other aspects when deciding on a college to attend, Avalos said.

“Usually, when Hispanic students in the Midwest are looking for a school, they are also looking for a good environment,” he said. “There are support mechanisms here for Latino students, which attracts them to Iowa State.”

Rodriguez said the variety of support programs ISU offers is an incentive for students.

“We have a Minority Student Affairs office, which focuses on increasing academic success,” he said. “This semester, our staff has contacted every minority student almost three times each to make sure they are making the transition.”

An early outreach program targets college-bound Iowan minority students from kindergarten through 12th grade but focuses primarily on students in grades 9 through 12, Rodriguez said.

The George Washington Carver scholarship for minority students is another recruitment tactic that proved to be a factor in the increase of freshman Hispanic students, he said.

“The demographics of the country are changing, which is another variable,” Rodriguez said. “The latest census indicated Hispanic population increasing at a higher rate than other minority groups.”

During last year’s recruitment cycle, three staff members involved in the recruitment process spoke Spanish, which was another factor in ISU’s success, Avalos said.

“We had a great year last year,” he said. “And with the same cooperation, we will have another great year.”