UC Davis has offered admission to almost 4,000 students seeking to transfer from California community colleges and made slight gains in the overall proportion of those from traditionally underrepresented groups.

After reviewing 6,114 applications from students at California community colleges, the campus admitted 3,970, an increase of 1.7 percent over last year. These students account for about 91 percent of all transfer students admitted.

A total of 7,098 students had applied to transfer from all colleges and universities, and 4,368 have been admitted. About 1,885 are expected to enroll along with 4,880 freshmen, for a total of 6,765 new students for fall 2003.

Among students who were admitted from the state's community colleges and who stated their ethnicity, the overall proportion of those from traditionally underrepresented groups increased by almost 1.5 percent.

About 1,166 -- almost a third -- of the transfer students admitted from state community colleges participated in transfer-guarantee programs designed to encourage community college students to attend university and to help them with the transition. This represents a 28.7 percent increase over last year.

"We're very pleased to see the increase in the admission of students participating in our special transfer programs," said Yvonne Marsh, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. "We believe the programs are effective in helping students successfully navigate the transition from community college to university."

Overall, UC campuses have admitted 14,665 transfer students from California community colleges for Fall 2003, 7.6 percent more than in 2002. It is the fifth consecutive year with universitywide growth in transfer student numbers, and UC campuses accepted almost eight out of 10 transfer applicants.

California residents made up 13,415 of the transfers, 7.2 percent more than in 2002.

Systemwide, all major racial and ethnic groups registered systemwide increases. Underrepresented students also increased as a proportion of California resident transfers, up from 19.4 percent in 2002 to 20.4 percent in 2003.

Expanding community college transfers to UC was defined as a goal in a 1997 memorandum of understanding between UC and the California Community Colleges, and again in a subsequent "partnership agreement" of mutual commitments between UC and Gov. Gray Davis' administration. Since the agreements, UC has averaged yearly enrollment increases of almost 6 percent.

A mix of students

At UC Davis, students from historically underrepresented groups -- Afri-can American, American Indian and Chicano/Latino -- accounted for 15.4 percent of this year's admitted community college transfer students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 14.5 percent last year. The percentage of Asian American students fell slightly to 29.9 percent of this year's admitted students who stated their ethnicity, compared with 31.9 percent last year. This year whites represented 38.7 percent of admitted students who stated an ethnicity, compared with 39.5 percent last year. International students represented 12.3 percent of admitted transfer students, compared with 10.3 percent last year.

Changes in numbers

The number of students admitted from California community colleges and identifying themselves as members of historically underrepresented groups rose by 7.5 percent, from 520 last year to 559 this year. There were increases among Chica-nos and Latinos, from 399 to 434 students; and African Americans, from 92 to 98.

The number of American Indians fell from 29 to 27, and students identifying themselves as Asian American this year decreased from 1,144 to 1,090. The number of students identifying themselves as white decreased from 1,417 to 1,409. Those who identified themselves as being from other ethnic groups decreased from 102 to 91. Those who declined to state their ethnicity increased from 319 to 331. Meanwhile, the number of international students increased 21.9 percent, from 402 to 490 students.

Transfer Programs

UC Davis offers two special programs for prospective transfer students. The Transfer Opportunity Program, offered at 17 community colleges, places a UC Davis admissions officer on the campus of community colleges at least once every two weeks. UC Davis also offers workshops at the participating college and sponsors visits to UC Davis.

Under the program, a student may also be eligible to participate in a Transfer Admission Agreement that provides a guarantee of admission on the condition the student completes certain courses and maintains a specified grade point average. The agreements are available at 81 community colleges.

Admissions numbers are available at http://www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html.