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University programs key to minority students' success

At-risk students who have dropped out of college are becoming less common, thanks to university programs designed specifically to help them stay in school.

Students who are underserved, low-income, have disabilities or are the first in their families to attend college are traditionally the ones who leave a university prior to earning a degree.

However, Arizona schools are doing their best to buck this national trend.

To get students off on the right foot, the University of Arizona and Arizona State University both offer summer programs for incoming freshmen to get the acclimated in the college campus setting. Often first-year students, particularly if they are the first ones in the family to attend college, can be overwhelmed.

ASU's Summer Bridge program offers the opportunity to take classes to satisfy general core requirements. It is targeted at first-generation Arizonans and low-income students. Students live on campus and for seven weeks get to be college students before the fall semester begins.

At the University of Arizona, the six-week New Start Summer Program is designed to connect students to university life before the semester begins and gives college-bound high schoolers a chance to adjust to the life ahead. New Start is in its 14th year and serves 270 students who are drawn through recruitment and word of mouth.

The University of Arizona's Multicultural Affairs and Student Success (MASS) programs have resulted in higher retention rates for participating minority students, including a nearly 13 percent greater rate for Hispanic students.

Other programs geared toward assisting students in all at-risk areas provide support and alleviate financial and social pressures facing freshmen.

"We look at retention numbers and a lot of what first-year students have to deal with," says MASS research analyst Melissa Ousley.

KNOCKING DOWN OBSTACLES

Multicultural programs geared toward specific ethnic groups, including the LOTUS Leadership Program that assists Hispanic students, make the vast university setting more intimate.

"We try to create a sense of community with these students in a mostly White community. Higher education is changing and becoming more diverse all the time," Ousley says.

Programs like ASU's Maroon & Gold Scholarship and Advantage are dedicated to helping those in need of financial assistance, the most common obstacle between students and a degree.

The Maroon & Gold program, which is dedicated toward first-generation Arizonans, consists of not only financial aid, but also one-on-one mentoring throughout the year. Nearly 45 percent of these recipients are Latino. Latinos' part of the program have a retention rate of 84 percent, versus the 74 percent for those who don't. The overall university retention rate for freshmen is 79 percent.

"This program truly made a difference in my life as a student and now I'm able to serve as a mentor to a first-generation student. I know it's helping her to persist and succeed," says Diana Bejarano-Medina, Director for Marketing and Communication for University Student Initiatives.

The programs are part of ASU's Sun Devil Promise, which aims to ensure all students have the best opportunity to earn a quality education, no matter what their background or economic status.

"President Crow has set a goal of a 90 percent retention rate for freshmen and we are all working diligently to meet that goal," says Patricia Arredondo, Dean of Student Affairs for University Student Initiatives.

"As more Hispanic students graduate from high school, we continue to strategically create opportunities that will assist them in transitioning into the university and to ensure that more of them will persist and graduate."