Increasing Minority Access to the Licensed Professions: A Regents Action Paper.

Overview & Synopsis

The underrepresentation of minority groups in graduate and professional education in New York State and approaches to address this problem are discussed. Components include: limited awareness of professional career options among minority students; inadequate counseling at important stages of education; lack of minority professional role models; low expectations; inadequate training in fundamental skills; insufficient opportunities for special help and remediation; inflexible admissions procedures for professional programs; and inadequate retention efforts. Included are Board of Regents' recommendations for elementary/secondary education, undergraduate education, graduate and professional education, and for all levels of education. The Regents recommend that graduate and professional schools make special efforts to increase the enrollment, retention, and graduation of minority students in educational programs leading to licensure in the professions. Action strategies for each of the four recommendations are included. Appended materials include enrollment rates by race in New York State, 1980-1981; racial/ethnic distribution of students in selected grades, 1982-83; and trend data on degrees conferred by four racial/ethnic groups, 1976-1981. (SW)