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Challenge 3: Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Student Body. Framework to Foster Diversity Homepage A major goal within Penn State Altoona’s Strategic Plan is to increase its minority student population to 10% of the total student body by 2006, and to increase international student enrollment to 100 students by 2006. In order to attract and retain a talented and diverse student body, considerable attention has been given to increasing scholarship support for incoming students, especially those who maybe interested in Penn State Altoona baccalaureate programs. Penn State Altoona continues to be very successful in increasing the diversity of our student body. Minority students now make up 9.2% of our student population in 2001-2002, an increase of 20% from 2000-2001. For Fall 2001, there are 45 minority students enrolled in Altoona College associate and baccalaureate majors representing 5.2% of the 871 total. Of the 45, 20 are upper division students. In addition, there are 13 minority students (3.5%) enrolled in majors that Altoona delivers on behalf of University Park colleges with 375 enrollments. Altoona also has one international student enrolled in an Altoona College major, and two international students enrolled in majors delivered on behalf of University Park. Adult learner enrollment (students who are 24+ years of age) is currently 578 students or 15% of our total enrollment. International student enrollment for 2001-2002 is 28.
* College service area consists of Blair, Bedford, Cambria, and Huntingdon Counties, and half of Somerset County. However, data for Somerset is based on the entire county, because data cannot be disaggregated. ** Percentage of freshmen that listed Penn State Altoona as campus of 1st choice.
1. How does your college contribute to locating and recruiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups? A. CURRENT INITIATIVES - RECRUITMENT ADMISSIONS The Office of Admissions at Penn State Altoona includes a full-time coordinator of Minority and Special Programs Admissions. The primary duties of this position are the recruitment of minority students, conduct individual on-campus interviews, and coordinate activities that support minority student recruitment. The Coordinator of Minority Recruitment organizes and trains currently enrolled minority students who serve as hosts and panel presenters to our minority student bus trip participants, a vitally important role in our overall minority recruitment efforts. The Office of Admissions currently employs four work-study students, three of which are African-American females that help support the Coordinator of Minority Recruitment. The Office of Admissions is developing an interactive recruitment CD that includes presentations by five students that include one Hispanic/Latino female, one African-American male, and one female adult learner. Penn State Altoona has developed two agreements with international universities to attract international students. One is with the China University of Mining and Technology and the other is with CSEM in Marseilles, France. The College does not conduct any direct recruitment of international students. Admissions staff has conducted out of state high school visits in the New York City and metropolitan areas of New Jersey. Staff has attended College nights in the New York-New Jersey area. Penn State Altoona has a strong and very successful partnership with “Operation Link Up” based in Patterson New Jersey. Each year over 70 minority students visit Penn State Altoona for an overnight program. Students come from five different high schools and on two separate dates in September and November. Admissions sponsors an overnight bus trip in the spring for students from New York /New Jersey area. This is a follow up from the high school visits in the fall. Penn State Altoona admissions staff collaborates with the Penn State Recruitment Centers in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh to identify and bring students of color to campus for a visit. Admissions staff is planning to bring a group of students from New York/New Jersey area for the spring junior open house. Since most adult learners inquire about College in response to major changes in their lives, i.e. loss of job, family breakup, etc. they rarely follow the same admissions time line as traditional-aged students. A recent study of Altoona adult learner admits indicated that approximately 70% did not begin the admission process until May or June. To support adult learners, spaces are saved in selected day and evening classes. In conjunction with the Division of Math and Natural Sciences, Division of Undergraduate Studies, Learning Resources Center and the Office of Continuing Education and Training, the College offers a noncredit math course entitled, “No Pressure Math Refresher” that helps adult learners build math skills and confidence in their ability to succeed in the credit math requirements. Using a list of recently discharged veterans provided by the Office of Veterans Affairs at University Park, personalized letters are sent to each veteran inviting them to an adult learner open house and encouraging them to consider enrolling at the College. Penn State Altoona works with the Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission (SAPDC) to coordinate regional activities of Workforce Investment Board (WIB). The WIB administers training funds available through the Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and reviews educational programs for posting as approved training programs. Associate and Baccalaureate degree majors and selected credit and noncredit certificates offered at Penn State Altoona were submitted to the SAPDC. These programs were approved and are posted on Career Link, Pennsylvania’s Website for employment and approved educational programs. In order to enhance the recruitment of adult learners, a review of the academic schedule of classes is conducted annually to assess its support and attractiveness to adult learners. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS DUS staff collaborate with Admissions to actively recruit students from under-represented groups through Upward Bound, EOP, CAMP, and Operation Link Up. DUS staff collaborates with the Adult Center to support adult learners and serve their unique needs as they adjust to the academic rigors of the University. STUDENT AFFAIRS Residence life staff helps to support the overnight high school visits from New York and New Jersey areas. Staff ensures that the residence experience for these students is meaningful and organized. Members of the residence assistant staff often serve as hosts for these visiting students. The Student Aid office continues to offer special student aid counseling sessions for Spanish speaking families. Student Aid staff continue to support and work with CAMP students and staff to ensure all of theses students financial aid needs are addressed and monitored. Student Aid staff continue to make significant gains in counseling diverse student populations as evident of the number of students contacts with the office over the last three years. Staff has used new technologies and data warehouses to identify special populations of high need students. Once identified, Student Aid staff takes advantage of any assistance and counseling available to assist these students. Career Services is in the process of developing a student advisory board which include students from underrepresented groups. Career Services has written and received a Perkins Grant to assist special populations that include economically disadvantaged students, educationally disadvantaged, and non-traditional students. HOUSING OFFICE Penn State Altoona does not have sufficient residence hall space to accommodate all incoming freshman that express an interest in living on campus. To help with the recruitment process and to provide a diverse on-campus freshman presence, in consultation with Housing and Food Services Office, the Admissions Office reserves residence hall spaces for minority, international, disabled, and out-of-state freshman admits. ATHLETICS Many of our teams have expanded the area in which they travel to compete. This has an indirect impact on recruitment. Our teams are traveling toward the east and toward more urban areas and are being seen by prospective students. These students may become attracted to Penn State Altoona through our seeing our athletic teams and by the potential of playing varsity athletics at the NCAA Div. III level. B. CHALLENGE 3: NEW INITITATIVES 2001-2003 - RECRUITMENT ADMISSIONS Establish an internal students program for international and minority students interested in Penn State Altoona baccalaureate degree programs. Work with the Offices of Student Aid and the Development Office to solicit and establish a series of new scholarships that would support the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body into Penn State Altoona degree programs. These scholarships should be directed towards International Students, Upper Division Students, and Leadership/Co-curricular scholarships, Adult Learners. For spring 2002, Admissions will implement a new program called “Get on The Bus”. This program will bring first choice Altoona students of color who have been offered Admission to the College, but have not yet made up their mind. Establish a special marketing publication directed toward international students, including working with the Admissions Office at University Park on the process for referring more international students to Penn State Altoona. In consultation with the Office of Admissions at University Park expand strategically visits to out-of-state high schools that have predominately minority students. Establish and monitor a permanent budget line item for minority student recruitment. STUDENT AFFAIRS Establish and implement a procedure to keep Penn State Altoona residence halls open during University breaks to accommodate international and out-of-state students by Fall 2003. 2. What strategies have you developed to retain undergraduate students from under representative groups? A. CURRENT INTITIATIVES - RETENTION COLLEGE Penn State Altoona has an established Retention Committee with broad College representation. STUDENT AFFAIRS A new Career Services booklet that has links to information about our majors, which are then linked to job descriptions, and to companies that have hired our graduates in the past, is available on line. Career Services offers Alumni Career panels that are attached to a particular major, i.e. BSMET and Education. Career Services provides counseling to students that are primarily undecided about their career path. Students come in for multiple appointments to have assessment instruments interpreted and then they are encouraged to do informational interviewing with an alum through LionLink, participate in our shadowing program, and them couched on how to gain experience though a summer internship. The Director of Career Services and the Director of Student Aid serve on the College Retention Committee. The OASIS program offered by the Division of Student Affairs through the Health and Wellness Center targets students who are at the end of their first semester have below a 2.0 GPA and matches them to a faculty or staff mentor. The Excel Program offered through the Health & Wellness Center provides extra support and programming to students with learning disabilities. There is now more emphasis on Altoona majors in distributing scholarships. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS DUS offers a very unique program that continues to be a model for retention is the First-Year Transition Program (FTP). FTP reaches out to students of color, first generation college students, and international students who are academically at-risk to address issues of transition to collegiate environment. Emphasis is placed on a support system that includes both professional and peer mentors who lend assistance to these young adults as they adjust to the academic and social culture of Penn State Altoona. FTP boasts a retention rate of 80% in the critical first year. Another successful program offered by the DUS and Admissions celebrates the successful academic achievements of students of color. A reception was held last spring and certificates were awarded to recognize and honor minority students who achieved a 3.0 GPA average during the 2000-01 academic year.
B. CHALLENGE 3: NEW INITIATIVES 2001-2003 - RETENTION ADMISSIONS Establish and publicize in the Collegiate Review “Welcome to the Major” lists for students enrolled in Penn State Altoona degree programs. STUDENT AFFAIRS Develop and implement a student satisfaction and Campus Climate Assessment survey to be conducted every two years beginning Spring 2003. Create a Multicultural Resource and Support Center within the Division of Student Affairs by Fall 2006. Create the program “Voices of Discovery: Inter-group Dialogue Program.” Expand the number of academic clubs, honor societies, and professional clubs by 50% by 2006. Institutionalize and expand the current OASIS program into a semester-long one-credit course. Establish a special loan fund for students who are experiencing financial difficulty. Develop a new exit survey for students leaving/withdrawing from the College for reasons other than graduation. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Expand undergraduate research and internship opportunities for minority students. DUS staff will increase their attention and focus on recruitment, transition, and retentions issues that affect our international student population. DUS staff will enhance recruitment and retention efforts that target adult learners and their unique needs. COLLEGE Develop an On-Campus Day Care Center to support students, faculty, and staff, as well as academic programs at Penn State Altoona by 2006. 3. What recruitment and retentions strategies have been most successful? Successful Recruitment Strategies:
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