The number of underrepresented minorities in the University's 2008 freshman class dropped slightly from the previous year, according to final enrollment statistics released earlier this week. The numbers indicate that the University avoided drops in minority enrollment seen at other universities after their states implemented bans on the use of affirmative action in admissions.

The proportion of underrepresented minorities in the incoming class was 10.4 percent, down from 10.8 percent in the 2007 class. But since 2006, the last year before the ban took effect, the number of underrepresented minorities — those who classify themselves as black, Hispanic or Native Americans — at the University has dropped by 8 percent.

The 2008 group is the first whole class to be admitted since the passage of Proposal 2, a ballot initiative that banned the use of race- and gender-based preferences in admissions in 2006. The ban was implemented in 2007 in the middle of the University's admission cycle, lessening the ban's possible impact that year.

The percentage of black students enrolled in this year's freshman class increased to 6.4 percent, a one percentage point increase from last year and the highest level since 2005.

Drops were seen with other minority groups, though. About 70 fewer Hispanic students enrolled this fall, lowering the group's enrollment percentage about a point to 3.4 percent. Both Native Americans and Asian Americans were enrolled at a lower rate this year, but each saw a decrease of less than one percentage point.

The proportion of white students increased by 4 percentage points, to 67 percent.

University President Mary Sue Coleman lauded the University's outreach efforts, but said more needs to be done to ensure minority enrollment doesn't taper off.

"While we are pleased with holding our own with regard to underrepresented students, we cannot become complacent in our diversity efforts," she said in a written statement. "There is still much work to do."

Still, the University has fared better than some schools in other states that also banned affirmative action.

In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action. Most state schools there saw immediate plunges in underrepresented minority admissions and enrollment.

That same year, Texas outlawed the use of racial preferences in higher education. Since then, minority enrollments at public schools there have stayed about the same, largely due to the fact that the state has implemented a controversial Top 10 rule. The system guarantees admission to every state school to any student who finishes in top 10 percent of his high school class.

After Washington state voters banned affirmative action there in 1999, the state's two largest schools, the University of Washington and Washington State University, saw underrepresented minority enrollment drop by a third.

Florida became the first state to voluntarily ban affirmative action in 2000, implementing a plan similar to the one in Texas. Admission and enrollment numbers have stayed consistent since the ban.

University officials have long touted diversity as one the school's best qualities. Even since the passage of Proposal 2, the University, which fought to continue using affirmative action before the Supreme Court in 2003, has continued targeted recruiting at inner-city schools.