Diversity Affairs Encouraging Local Students to Attend College

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Leaders from the University of Arkansas office of diversity affairs and several colleges at the university are taking a message to Little Rock high school students: more Arkansas students need to go to college, and they should consider attending the University of Arkansas.

Vice provost for diversity affairs Charles F. Robinson and other university representatives will hold an outreach visit with high school students at Parkview Magnet School at 9 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 29. The group will then visit McClellan High School for an assembly at 12:30 p.m.

Several University of Arkansas programs administered through diversity affairs are designed to encourage students to attend college, including ACT training, workshops and parent assemblies. The university offers parent resources, as well, such as help  completing federal student aid forms. The university also provides access to a summer “bridge” program designed to acclimate students to Northwest Arkansas and a university environment Leslie Yingling, is the co-director of the College Access Initiative.

“Essentially, we’re offering college access and readiness outreach, bridge programs to help students transition to college, and retention services to support and help them succeed and persist,” Yingling said.

“When university leaders reach out to young people around the state and let them know the importance of pursuing higher education and getting a college degree, that gets results in that it causes these students to start thinking about college and understanding that degree attainment is an achievable goal,” Robinson said. “While I hope that they choose the University of Arkansas, we believe the most important message we can impart is that they don’t need to look outside the state for their opportunity. Higher education in Arkansas has enough flexibility and variety that every student can find a campus that fits his or her educational aspirations.”

Diversity affairs staff visited students throughout eastern Arkansas last week – West Memphis, Clarendon, Barton-Lexa, Marvell – and plan to be in Forth Smith later this month. In fact, several students who attended University of Arkansas assemblies held in eastern Arkansas last semester have made the University of Arkansas their choice. Kiera Brown, a freshman from West Memphis is one of them:

“The University of Arkansas chose me,” she said at an Aug. 26 enrollment news conference, saying she was attracted to the institution for its attention to the individual and her feeling that it was a place where she could succeed.