The Razorgrad Institute for Success and Engagement (RISE) welcomed its latest cohort of 26 graduate students to campus this August for a week of activities focused on self-empowerment, creating community, and personal growth. 

Since 2018, the office of graduate student support, housed within the Graduate School and International Education, has offered RISE to invest in promising new graduate students from historically underrepresented populations (African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and first-generation) during the transition into graduate education on the University of Arkansas campus. 

“The Graduate School is committed to creating an engaged culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, respectfulness and civility,” said Patricia Koski, dean of the Graduate School and International Education. “The RISE program is an important part of our strategic effort to do just that.”

Participants are taught about key resources on campus and introduced to university leaders among faculty, staff and students. Perhaps most importantly, they form a tight-knit community of friends, mentors, advisors and supporters for their careers at the U of A. Targeted workshops allow participants to identify personal strengths, craft a basic pitch session, manage personal finances, develop negotiating skills, and learn about self-care. Additionally, activities familiarize participants with the campus, Fayetteville, and the Northwest Arkansas area.

RISE partners with U of A groups and external partners for its programming. These include the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation; student counseling and psychological services; University Libraries; the School of Art; the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; and employees from academic programs including Communication, Gender Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, and African and African American Studies.

"The past 18 months have created exceptional circumstances and challenges for new graduate students, and it is a tribute to their resilience that we experienced a record number of participants for RISE this year," said Laura Moix, director of graduate student support. "This year's cohort created relationships that will hopefully allow them to thrive throughout their graduate studies, and we look forward to supporting them as they contribute to the campus community." 

Moix also said that on average, RISE students have achieved a 93% retention rate (calculated as either having earned a degree from the U of A or still being enrolled) as compared to 76% of all underrepresented minorities.