By RUSSELL CONTRERAS
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The University of New Mexico's Chicana and Chicano Studies Department is seeing a jump in enrollment, defying overall student enrollment declines at the state's largest college. Numbers show one of the nation's first Chicano Studies programs saw a 636% spike in students since 2011 as other areas at the university experienced declines. While colleges across the U.S. also report enrollment drops, similar Latino studies programs are reporting growth in enrollment. The department chair says universities are experiencing a rise in Latino students, and they are hungry for Latino studies classes. She says studies show those classes help with graduation rates among Latino students.

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