University officials should remember the importance of having - and maintaining - a diverse campus. College is a life opportunity.

More minority students are enrolling into colleges and universities - including MSU - but an high dropout rates also have continued to plague the schools despite recruiting methods.

In 2001 the enrollment of minorities increased to 16 percent of the student body, or 7,110, which rose 6,771 in the year 2000.

But the retention rate at MSU is lowest for blacks at 44.7 percent. They are followed by American Indian and Hispanic students at 53.8 percent, Asian and Pacific Islanders at 67.6 percent and white students at 70.4 percent.

Despite the statistics, it seems most college officials understand the academic and economic struggles of keeping first-generation students in college. Several mentoring systems have been implemented at MSU to keep minority students focused on their academics. Programs such as the CAAP and MAGIC programs - Maximizing Growth in College - are among the services offered to provide minority students with a helping hand to stay in college.

The university has done well in finding ways to harbor the diversity it has strived to bring to MSU. But as numbers show low retention rates, administrators should always look for new and innovative ways to reverse the trend.

While MSU may be proud of its diversity in incoming freshman classes, the numbers mean nothing if it fails to help struggling students achieve the university’s primary objective - obtaining a quality education.

As a land-grant institution, MSU is obligated to make education accessible and affordable for all students. Without destroying the barriers and obstacles that often prevent first-generation college students from completing their education, the university hasn’t done enough to accomplish that objective.