HERSHEY -- More minority students are applying to the University this year, reversing a trend that prompted Penn State administrators to create a task force last July to recruit and retain more minority students within a year.

It appears that task force will be successful, provided more minority applications translates into more offers and more acceptances by the students, the University's acting executive vice president and provost told the University's Board of Trustees.

Charles Hosler, addressing the Committee on Educational Policy, said minority applications have increased 7 percent from last year. That means 4,171 minority students have applied to Penn State for the 1991-92 year. Last year at this time 3,889 minority students had applied.

Already the University has extended offers to many of these students. Hosler said that offers to minorities are running 10 percent ahead of last year. About 2,809 students have been asked to enroll.

"We've made a concerted effort to make the offers earlier this year," he said.

William Asbury, vice president for student services, said the increase in offers is encouraging, but the increase in paid-accepts -- students who have accepted their offer from the University -- is slight.

Asbury said, "You have to be cautious about interpreting these figures. There's been a turn-around in the trend, but not in enrollment. How many students are actually going to enroll as first-time students?"

About 820 African-American high school students have received offers, 4 percent above the 786 who had received offers at this time last year.

"Now the thing we're concentrating on . . . is working with the colleges and with the departments and making personal contacts with these students," Hosler said.

"There will be multiple follow-ups on each of these applications and offers," he said. "We feel that's going to pay off."

Asbury contributed the success to members of the task force, including James Stewart, vice provost for underrepresented groups, Gregory Knight, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education, and Hosler.

"Those three people really took a strong stance with the admissions office that certain tough efforts had to be made," Asbury said.

Asbury said that Gary Kelsey, director of minority admissions community affairs, was given free reign to conduct minority recruitment efforts and "that has been the major difference."

Although Kelsey has worked to improve recruitment and retention of underrepresented students in past years, Asbury said "he never really had the strong backing."

When a downward trend in minority enrollment was detected last year, Hosler vowed to correct the situation.

At July's Board of Trustees meeting, Hosler said, "I assure you we're taking it very seriously. And if I have anything to do with it, we'll correct it by next year."