Black Caucus and its leaders will be watching over the shoulders of University officials and lending a helping hand when necessary on minority issues.

Mark Small, Black Caucus athletic committee chair, said minority retention is not something Black Caucus can solve alone.

"It doesn't seem like there is a commitment by the University to recruit and retain," Small said.

Minority student enrollment University-wide increased by 286 people last year to a total of 5,559 out of 70,576 students. But African-American student enrollment only increased to 2,266 from 2,261, an increase of five students.

Black Caucus President Marcella Nixon said she does not think many students know what minority retention is. Nixon (senior-agricultural science) said Black Caucus can help students by sponsoring speakers for meetings and for the University and by introducing programs for the Freshman Testing, Counseling and Advising Program.

For example, Black Caucus is sponsoring an appearance by Speech from Arrested Development, who will speak at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 in Schwab Auditorium. Nixon said she hopes Speech will be able to address some of the concerns of black students.

Nixon also said University officials such as Terrell Jones, deputy vice provost for educational equity, could help explain the University's minority retention policies and programs to students.

Jones said he works with Black Caucus on a continual basis. He said one idea is for minority student leaders to travel to Commonwealth Campuses to talk with other minority students.

Another goal of the group is to promote minority student involvement at the University. Small (senior-African-American studies) said the group can help new and returning black students feel comfortable in their surroundings. He said that without that feeling, students are less likely to become involved at the University.

Nixon said she plans to have meetings between minority student leaders and University faculty and staff members to discuss minority student needs. She said the needs discussed could include minority retention, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center and the amount of black faculty and staff at the University.

Nixon said Black Caucus will use the Black Student Council, which met for the first time last night, as a forum to contact other minority groups.

The progress of the HUB/Robeson expansion project is an important concern for Black Caucus as well.

Small said Black Caucus will keep an "active tab" on the project and will work with the people in charge. He also said Black Caucus is considering establishing a committee to keep track of the project.

The Paul Robeson Cultural Center was brought to University Park in 1946 and originally was meant to be a temporary union building while the HUB was built. But since 1971, it has served as a center for minority students.

There has been $21 million in state funds authorized for the HUB/Robeson project as part of the University's capital budget request. The project's tentative completion date is 1997.