Interim University of Colorado President Seeks to Study Student Diversity

AURORA, Colo.
Interim University of Colorado President Hank Brown wants a committee to recommend how to increase diversity following several racial incidents and a decrease in Hispanic and Black student enrollment on the Boulder campus.

"I am convinced we can make progress here," Brown told the CU Board of Regents during his first meeting with the school's governing body.

The former U.S. senator, who took the helm this week, also wants to know whether the school should be spending more money on recruiting minority students.

While overall enrollment this spring at CU-Boulder dropped 0.6 percent when compared with last year, Hispanic and Black student enrollment dropped 1.6 percent each. Caucasian student enrollment was down 0.7 percent.

Last semester, students also reported several incidents of racial harassment. The most serious occurred in June, when a man attacked a student off-campus after yelling racial slurs at him.

Brown was appointed interim CU president in April after 16 months of scandals and embarrassments that have tarnished the school's image. President Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman stepped down at the end of June amid the fallout from the football recruiting scandal and the ethics investigation of ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill.

Meanwhile, a 12-member committee that includes faculty, administrators and a student will start the search for a permanent president.

The committee has $300,000 to interview applicants, make campus visits and narrow the list to no more than three candidates. They plan to hire a consultant to help with recruiting, advertising and salary analysis.

Brown has not said whether he will vie for the permanent job.

• Associated Press