More On Kentucky's Black Population Regarding Blacks.
2010 U.S. Census: Warren sees rise in blacks
29 pct. growth over 10 years could be attributed in part to WKU’s minority recruitment
By ROBYN L. MINOR
Seven of the 10 counties in the Barren River Area Development District lost black population, according to 2010 U.S. census data released Thursday.
Meanwhile, Warren County’s black population grew by about 29 percent from 2000 to 2010 to an estimated 10,204. Barren County also saw its black population grow by 4.1 percent to an estimated 1,617. Edmonson County’s black population grew by 29.9 percent from an estimated 67 to 166.
Part of Warren County’s growth might be attributed to Western Kentucky University’s efforts to recruit minority faculty members and students. WKU also has on its campus the Minority Teacher Recruitment Center to assist minority students interested in becoming teachers.
“Our enrollment has significantly increased for minority students,” said Richard Miller, WKU’s associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer. “Right now we are in the process of establishing a diversity plan for the university.”
The most recent numbers available showed that in the fall of 2009, WKU had 1,938 black students enrolled in undergraduate programs, an 11 percent increase over the previous fall. Its graduate program had 212 black students, a 6.9 percent increase.
“In our admissions office we have a couple of recruiters who specifically target African-American students at our local high schools and around the state, and they are doing a good job,” Miller said.
Because WKU is trying to raise its admission standards, Miller said the university is targeting black students who are high profile and appear to be ready for college-level work.
“We are trying to identify students who have decent ACTs and GPAs, and we have efforts to bring those students onto the campus throughout the year and introduce them to departments and faculty,” he said.
Miller said WKU’s black faculty has grown every year since the fall of 2006, when there were 30 black full-time faculty members. Now there are 42.
The university has funded a plan to increase that number, which includes money to send representatives to conferences where prominent black faculty are in attendance and are interested in finding jobs, as well as money for salaries, he said.
Blacks still make up a relatively small percentage of the population, ranging from well below 1 percent in Butler County to 9.3 percent in Simpson County and 8.9 percent in Warren County. Statewide, the percentage is about 7.67.
In addition to population, the census numbers for Kentucky offered a look at housing units.
In Warren County, it was estimated that overall, 3,549 housing units - 7.5 percent - were vacant. In the city, the percentage was about 8 percent, or 1,977. Broken down into school districts, about 7.2 percent of the units in the Warren County Public Schools district were vacant and about 8.6 percent were vacant in the Bowling Green Independent Schools area. The school district boundaries are different from the Bowling Green city limits.
The greatest percentage of vacant housing units in the region was in Edmonson County, where 24.89 percent were estimated to be empty. In recent years, developers have built subdivisions close to the Warren County line for those residents who work in Warren County. It’s not clear whether that’s a factor in the vacancy rate.
Developers often use census information, including these vacancy rates, to determine where and whether to build more properties.
Elsewhere, Allen County had an estimated 15.67 vacancy rate, Barren County had 11.4 percent, Butler County had 13.95 percent, Logan County had 13.5 percent and Simpson County had 9.1 percent.
— For more information about the census, go to census.gov.
29 pct. growth over 10 years could be attributed in part to WKU’s minority recruitment
By ROBYN L. MINOR
Seven of the 10 counties in the Barren River Area Development District lost black population, according to 2010 U.S. census data released Thursday.
Meanwhile, Warren County’s black population grew by about 29 percent from 2000 to 2010 to an estimated 10,204. Barren County also saw its black population grow by 4.1 percent to an estimated 1,617. Edmonson County’s black population grew by 29.9 percent from an estimated 67 to 166.
Part of Warren County’s growth might be attributed to Western Kentucky University’s efforts to recruit minority faculty members and students. WKU also has on its campus the Minority Teacher Recruitment Center to assist minority students interested in becoming teachers.
“Our enrollment has significantly increased for minority students,” said Richard Miller, WKU’s associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer. “Right now we are in the process of establishing a diversity plan for the university.”
The most recent numbers available showed that in the fall of 2009, WKU had 1,938 black students enrolled in undergraduate programs, an 11 percent increase over the previous fall. Its graduate program had 212 black students, a 6.9 percent increase.
“In our admissions office we have a couple of recruiters who specifically target African-American students at our local high schools and around the state, and they are doing a good job,” Miller said.
Because WKU is trying to raise its admission standards, Miller said the university is targeting black students who are high profile and appear to be ready for college-level work.
“We are trying to identify students who have decent ACTs and GPAs, and we have efforts to bring those students onto the campus throughout the year and introduce them to departments and faculty,” he said.
Miller said WKU’s black faculty has grown every year since the fall of 2006, when there were 30 black full-time faculty members. Now there are 42.
The university has funded a plan to increase that number, which includes money to send representatives to conferences where prominent black faculty are in attendance and are interested in finding jobs, as well as money for salaries, he said.
Blacks still make up a relatively small percentage of the population, ranging from well below 1 percent in Butler County to 9.3 percent in Simpson County and 8.9 percent in Warren County. Statewide, the percentage is about 7.67.
In addition to population, the census numbers for Kentucky offered a look at housing units.
In Warren County, it was estimated that overall, 3,549 housing units - 7.5 percent - were vacant. In the city, the percentage was about 8 percent, or 1,977. Broken down into school districts, about 7.2 percent of the units in the Warren County Public Schools district were vacant and about 8.6 percent were vacant in the Bowling Green Independent Schools area. The school district boundaries are different from the Bowling Green city limits.
The greatest percentage of vacant housing units in the region was in Edmonson County, where 24.89 percent were estimated to be empty. In recent years, developers have built subdivisions close to the Warren County line for those residents who work in Warren County. It’s not clear whether that’s a factor in the vacancy rate.
Developers often use census information, including these vacancy rates, to determine where and whether to build more properties.
Elsewhere, Allen County had an estimated 15.67 vacancy rate, Barren County had 11.4 percent, Butler County had 13.95 percent, Logan County had 13.5 percent and Simpson County had 9.1 percent.
— For more information about the census, go to census.gov.
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