DePaul University is among the top 50 universities in the United States to award bachelor degrees in business to Hispanic and Asian American students and baccalaureate education degrees to Hispanic American students, according to rankings published in the July 10 and 24 editions of the magazine Black Issues in Higher Education.

The magazine also listed DePaul in several categories for graduate degrees awarded to minorities. The university's College of Law was ranked among the top 50 universities to award law degrees to Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans. Overall, DePaul was ranked 59th among universities that awarded master's degrees in all disciplines combined to minority students.

This is the fifth year that the magazine has published rankings of U.S. colleges and universities based on the number of associate, bachelor and graduate degrees conferred upon minority students. The 1997 rankings are based on U.S. Department of Education data on degrees awarded during the 1994-95 academic year.

DePaul was ranked as follows:

-- 37th among universities that conferred undergraduate degrees in business and management to Hispanic students. DePaul awarded these degrees to 62 Hispanic Americans during the 1994-95 school year.

-- 45th in awarding business and management bachelor degrees to Asian Americans. Fifty-one Asian Americans were awarded these degrees in 1994-95.

-- 48th among universities that awarded baccalaureate education degrees to Hispanic Americans during the 1994-95 school year. Fourteen Hispanic students graduated DePaul with bachelors degrees in education that academic year.

-- 39th in the number of Hispanic Americans receiving law degrees (17 degrees presented in 1994-95), 41st in the number of Asian Americans receiving law degrees (16 degrees conferred in 1994-95), and 23rd in law degrees to Native Americans (3 degrees awarded in 1994-95)

-- 43rd among universities that awarded master's degrees in technical and mathematical subjects, including computer science and math, to Asian students. Twenty-three Asian American students received these degrees from DePaul in 1994-95. Overall, DePaul ranked 29th among universities presenting Asian Americans with master's degrees in all disciplines.

Dean Ronald J. Patten of DePaul's College of Commerce said a combination of factors have led to the college's success in recruiting and graduating business students of color.

"Asian-American and Hispanic students who studied with us and were very satisfied and have spread that word to other students," Patten said.

He also noted that the college hosts several groups and programs targeted to the needs of Hispanic students. One is DePaul's chapter of the Midwest Association of Hispanic Accountants(MAHA), the largest of the three MAHA chapters in Illinois that provide mentoring links between Hispanic business leaders and students.

In addition, since 1992, DePaul and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs have held Summer Enrichment Programs for eighth graders interested in studying business. Margarita Perez, President of Fortaleza Asset Management, Inc., who holds two degrees from the college, was instrumental in getting DePaul involved in the program, Patten said.

Angela Perez Miller, assistant professor at the School of Education and an alumnus of the school, said Latino student enrollments and graduation rates have been increasing because of the school's multi-cultural approach to preparing future teachers, and "el personalismo," personalism and support offered to students to assist them in completing their degrees. She noted that Latino undergraduate enrollment has increased at the school from 47 to 105 students between 1992 to 1996.

"Another factor is the school's Latino outreach programs that encourage Latino students to go into higher education," she said. "They show the school's commitment to educating Latino youth." One such program is STEP, a math and science program for students at the predominantly-Hispanic Benito Juarez High School in Chicago. STEP is directed by Rafaela Weffer, DePaul associate vice president for academic affairs.

Teree Foster, dean of DePaul's College of Law, said a number of factors were influential in recruiting Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students to the college. "The college sponsors a conference for minority applicants, which is now in its 12th year, and awards a number of merit scholarships to minority applicants," she said. "Moreover, DePaul, which is 'Chicago's law school' and has a number of connections in the legal community among minority lawyers, many of whom are graduates of DePaul's law school." For Hispanic students, the Latino Law Student Association at DePaul "is active, vigorous, and effective" organization, she added.

"The College of Law takes great pride in this record of educating minority students," Foster said. "The faculty is committed to enhancing the diversity of its student body, and works tirelessly to find new means by which to attract minority applicants.