Undergraduate diversity rates this fall are the highest the University has seen since fall 2002, according to 14th class day numbers.Of the 23,400 undergraduates, 20.2 percent are Asian, African-American, non-resident aliens, Hispanic, American Indian or an unknown race. Not since 2002, when the rate was 20.4 percent, has the minority rate reached higher than 20 percent, and enrollment the past five years has been at a standstill average of 19.7 percent. “Certainly we are not satisfied with our domestic ethnic minority enrollment, nor our international enrollment numbers,” said Katrice Albert, vice provost of Equity, Diversity and Community Outreach, in an e-mail. “We are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to recruit a more diverse student body.”Albert said the Office of Undergraduate Admissions hired two bilingual recruiters for the Hispanic markets of Texas and Florida. The Office of Multicultural Affairs recently hired a bilingual cross cultural coordinator to retain the recruits.But the 5,141-student freshman class is showing signs of improvement.Mary Parker, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions and Student Aid, said the fall 2008  freshmen brought a 43.4 percent increase in Indian students, a 14 percent increase in African-American students and a 9.4 percent increase in Asian students. Hispanic enrollment remained about the same.The University stands exactly in the middle of its 15 regional peers with a 15 percent minority rate in total enrollment, according to a September issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. The study focused on white, black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, unknown and non-resident alien students. It uses data from the U.S. Education Department’s Fall Enrollment Survey — fall 2006 are most recent data available.The Chronicle reports the University’s student body is 77 percent white, 9 percent black, 3 percent Hispanic, 3 percent Asian, zero   percent American Indians, 3 percent unknown race and 5 percent nonresident aliens. Jim McCoy, vice provost of Enrollment Management, Planning and Policy, said the incoming freshman class also provided a 15 percent increase in female students.Florida led LSU’s peers on the Chronicle list with a 27 percent minority rate. Mississippi State and the University of Oklahoma followed with 22 percent and 21 percent rates, respectively. West Virginia University and the University of Kentucky were at the bottom of the list with 7 percent and 9 percent rates, respectively.Parker said recruiting minority students takes an especially personalized approach — letting students and their families know the University offers more than just academics.She said one of the most effective tools for recruiting minorities is the presence of other minority students on campus and the encouragement they give to recruits. “That is our No. 1 best recruiting,” Parker said of the student speakers. Albert said her department collaborates with Enrollment Management on initiatives to attract minority students. Experience LSU invites ethnic minority high school students and their families to visit campus for various activities including a tour, college fair and a discussion with a panel of minority students about their experiences at the University.SPRINGFEST Minority Recruitment Weekend gives the highest yield of minorities and invites high-achieving high school juniors to campus to experience various University communities. The highly selective program offers 100 spots and is mostly made up of Louisiana residents, but attendees also come from Texas and Mississippi.Meghan Dauzat, biology sophomore, said she thinks campus is relatively diverse.”I can always hear people speaking in different languages in the Quad,” Dauzat said. Greg Turner, agricultural business senior, said he came from Terrebonne High School and was surprised when he arrived on campus to find students speaking different languages. “I don’t think it’s diverse enough,” Turner said. “I don’t really think it’s a problem.”Turner said LSU is a majority university, and he isn’t surprised that 70 percent of the University is white.”When you’re predominantly a majority University, that’s a concern minority students have,” Parker said.—-Contact Sarah Lawson at [email protected]