FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. — The University of Arkansas believes that an investment in its students during their first year on campus improves their chances of thriving in the University environment and eventually graduating. To help the U of A create an effective "First-Year Experience" program for fall 2000, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has given the University of Arkansas a $67,500 planning grant.

"The first-year experience supports the philosophy that out-of-class experiences intimately influence the academic success of our students," said Dr. Johnetta Cross Brazzell, UA vice chancellor of the Division of Student Affairs. "We are grateful for this grant because the program will improve retention and graduation rates among our students, which in turn will benefit the state with a greater number of college graduates."

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the economic and social well-being of Arkansas. The foundation was endowed in 1974 from the estate of former Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. To date, the foundation has invested $51 million in worthwhile projects sponsored by educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Sybil Jordon Hampton, president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, said, "The University of Arkansas’ First-Year Experience program is a project that truly will break new ground by intentionally creating a common experience for all first-year students. Dr. Brazzell and her colleagues are bridging a critical gap."

UA Chancellor John White said, "Improving the retention and graduation rates of our students is the most critical challenge facing the University. We are pleased with this gift from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to help us design a first-year experience to do exactly that. It is critical that we raise the retention rate if we are to become a nationally competitive institution and provide Arkansas with the educated leadership it needs to thrive in the 21^st century."

The six-year graduation rate for the University of Arkansas is 43 percent. With the freshman class of 1998, the University is working toward a graduation rate of 66 percent, which compares favorably to peer institutions - the major state universities and other land-grant institutions in the Southeastern Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 10 and the Big 12.

The University will roll out its First -Year Experience program in the fall of 2000 with a conference on retention, which will bring together other institutions of higher learning across the state. The program is being designed during the 1999-2000 academic year by multi-disciplined teams within the Division of Student Affairs and across campus. The First-Year Experience program will encourage collaboration among faculty and the entire campus community to improve campus life. It will provide transitional support to all students entering the University with a personal support structure centered around each student’s academic goals. The intent of the program is to integrate new students in a college environment that values high academic achievement, supports each individual student and honors a diverse culture.