174 xiv CHAPTER I ORIENTATION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 19 access and retention for Mexican Americans in San Antonio, Texas, and to develop some implications for further study and research. Chapter I lays the background for the study and outlines the purpose, definition of terms, significance, delimitations, and the design of the study. Chapter II presents a review and an analysis of selected literature on Mexican American access to higher education; socioeconomic, educational, and political

more »

... actors limiting college accessibility for Mexican Americans; and major developments and trends for improving Mexican American educational opportunities at the elementary, secondary, and college level. The focus is on identifying major themes of importance to the concept of improving college accessibility which will provide an analytical framework for the case study and final results. Chapter III describes and analyzes selected college access programs serving Mexican American students in San Antonio, Texas, with the case study of Project UNICO serving as a focal point. The programs are discussed vis-a-vis the nature and extent of services provided, their objectives, underlying rationales, processes, strategies, and outcomes. Chapter IV presents a detailed description and analysis of the sixty-six (66) freshmen students participating in Project UNICO for summers and academic years 1971-1972. Factors that facilitated their access to St. Mary's University are noted as well as those factors that would have impeded their opportunity to do so. Course loads and academic performance (G.P.A.), persistence after summer, fall, and spring semesters as well as student perception of the program provide some measure ment of the success and retention power of the students, as success is defined by the program.