President Pete Likins has planned for more than a year to increase diversity and boost Hispanic enrollment at the University of Arizona. Recently, he appointed one woman to orchestrate that task.

Patti Ota, the current vice president for executive affairs and university initiatives, will take the reins on minority recruitment on Sept. 1 when she moves to her appointment as the vice president for enrollment management, a new position created by Likins.

"We have understood for a very long time that we can't create a diverse learning environment for faculty and students without a diverse student body," Likins said.

Likins aims for the UA to become a Hispanic-serving institution in 10 years, he said. That would require the UA to increase Hispanic enrollment from 14 percent to 25 percent, with half of those 25 percent demonstrating financial need. This would require the UA to increase the number of Hispanic students by 300 each year, Ota said.

"That is an ambitious goal," she said.

Both UA South and Pima Community College are considered federal Hispanic-serving institutions, making them eligible for additional federal funding.

The funding, however, is not the primary reason for striving to become a Hispanic-serving institution, Ota said.

"The magnitude is not that great that it would radically change this institution," she said.

Rather, Ota said she hopes to better serve and represent the large Hispanic population in the state.

"We believe that where this university is located, and to serve the city of Tucson and the state of Arizona, it is the right thing to do," she said.

"As the Hispanic population grows, it should grow at the U of A also," Likins said.

Likins said he hopes to develop a new recruitment plan by fall 2005.

"We need an all-encompassing plan," Ota said. "It involves everything that we do, from recruitment to retention to financial aid."

Likins plans to use admissions policies approved in the spring as a vehicle to increase diversity.

Beginning in Fall 2006, the UA will only have to accept the top 25 percent of Arizona high school students. The university currently guarantees admission to the top 50 percent.

This means that admissions staff will be able to make judgments about individuals in the second quartile of their class, Likins said.

"That requires that we make the commitment to learn about individuals," he said.

Likins said this will require a larger admissions staff and possibly enlisting alumni to conduct student interviews. He also hopes to bring potential students and their families to the UA campus earlier so that they are well informed about admissions, financial aid and academics on campus.

Ota said she hopes to hire more Spanish-speaking admissions staff and recruiters to reach out to the Hispanic community and especially to parents.

While recruiting a more diverse population that is also adequately prepared for the university will take years, the results will benefit both the university and the community, Likins said.

"The reward is increased graduation rates, increased diversity and increased academic quality," he said.