Ethnic diversity at university level

is something which is apparently hotly debated in the UK as well as in Downunder. The recent outrage over the apparent "racism" in Oxbridge colleges over their lack of "black" students is something that disturbs me. 
We have a similar situation here in Downunder. Much is made of any "indigenous" student who succeeds in getting to university - and more is made of those who complete their course. The rest of us are told how hard it is for them.
And yes, it is hard. I wouldn't for one moment want to suggest that such students have had an easy path to success. I have tutored students who identified themselves as being indigenous. They were sent to me because they were failing. They were sent to me for help with study skills, English language skills  - and much more. They were often under other pressures in their personal lives.
I can remember eleven of those students for one reason or another - although there were more. Two of them succeeded in getting through the courses for which they were originally accepted. Four more switched to lower level courses and managed to get through those. All of them needed high levels of support and encouragement from the staff and from other students. Both staff and students often went out of their way to give them some extra help. 
The other five students dropped out but one of those came back to me recently and said she was thinking about "doing something". I encouraged her because it is well within her capacities and aged care is an ever growing area of need. She will find employment if she completes the course.  I have no idea where the others are or what they are doing. I do know the six who completed their courses are employed. Like everyone else in their generation in their fields they tend to  be under-employed. The work is casual or not officially full-time but they are earning more than they would on unemployment benefit.
For me this raises all sorts of questions. It raises questions about the students being accepted - and why they were  being accepted. I know that all these students did not get the necessary results but they were accepted under schemes that give them the opportunity to enter post-secondary education. I know that they needed extra help in order to have any chance at succeeding. I know their results were not outstanding and that staff felt pressured to "pass them or risk being labelled racist". There was the male member of staff who was close to tears saying, "I've been told I have to pass him but his work really isn't good enough. It just means that he will fail next year and that's not fair on him."
Far from being racist that staff member had given the student extra time every week in the first term and then asked a retired Reader in the subject area to do some more tutoring while I helped with study skills.
One student, who barely succeeded, told me, "Everyone has been great but I really didn't want to come. My marks weren't good enough. I didn't work that hard you know."
Should the latter student have been given a chance or should her place have been given to someone else? There aren't any easy answers to that question and it will only become harder as the nature of work changes even more.
But what I don't believe is the argument that universities, at least in Downunder, are "racist". We need to ask questions about whether "black" students are applying, what they are applying for, and whether they have the qualifications.  My experience - in three universities - is that staff have gone out of their way to help students from different ethnic backgrounds succeed. I suspect they will go on doing it too.