Black Institutions Capitalize On Changing Policies in Calif.

By Jessica L. Sandham

When Californians passed the 1996 ballot initiative that prohibited most racial and gender preferences in public education and other government programs in their state, school leaders at a small private university in western Ohio took notice.

A historically black institution, Wilberforce University has seen interest from California students rise since the passage of Proposition 209 and the University of California's earlier decision to end racial preferences in admissions. In a typical year, the 850-student university enrolls about four students from California; last fall, the number jumped to 25.

"In the process of doing what we do, we have found ourselves benefitting from Proposition 209," said Kenneth Christmon, the director of admissions at the university in Wilberforce, Ohio. "The reality is that [the students] must now look beyond...