Student Support Services Impacts Diversity and Retention

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2011 Student Support Services graduates

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As the office of diversity affairs continues to expand its reach at the University of Arkansas, many related programs on campus are reaching further, too. Student Support Services, an office that has been on campus since 1976, and previously was a part of the Division of Student Affairs, is a program that is reaching more students and having an impact felt campuswide.

“Our overall goal is to make sure students graduate from the U of A,” said Taj Cobbs, director of Student Support Services. “We are charged with providing students with the tools necessary to be competitive inside and outside of the classroom.”

Student Support Services, which is funded by a five-year $1.8 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education, focuses on first-generation students who come from modest backgrounds and who have an academic need. There is an application process to be considered for involvement, and the program currently serves 325 students.

“There is a misconception that students must have a disability to be accepted,” said Cobbs. “We do have students who face various challenges but that doesn’t mean it impedes their ability to be successful academically. We serve students who are Silas Hunt Scholars, Gates Millennium Scholars, and students who have academic honors.”

The U.S. Department of Education mandates that 85 percent of the students served by Student Support Services are in good academic standing.

Students accepted into the program, which is located in Gregson Hall, are encouraged to stay involved throughout their entire college experience. They meet regularly with a student development specialist who puts them in touch with appropriate campus resources and provides academic, personal, career and financial counseling. One of the current student development specialists, Whitnee Boyd, is a former participant of the program. After graduating from the university, she attended graduate school at Louisiana State University, earned her master’s degree in higher education and then returned to Arkansas. She said the program had such meaning in her life she wanted to provide that assistance for future students.

Several faculty members, offices on campus and businesses in the community provide supplemental support on topics ranging from writing to research, from stress management to how to buy a home. There are also countless opportunities for the students to get involved on campus and in the community through the program.

“We have a lot of great support, but we are always looking for more,” said Cobbs.

At the end of each academic year, graduating seniors from the program are honored during a ceremony that not only recognizes their accomplishments but also encourages other students to stay involved until graduation.