Retention for Multicultural Students
All students learn best in an environment conducive to their needs and characteristics. Huebner and Lawson described this fit as a person-environment congruence (as cited by Cuyjet, 2011). Cuyjet argues further that it is the role of student affairs personnel to ensure that this congruence exists for minority groups. A key to increasing retention for multicultural students is to ensure that they feel like they have a place at the university. We cannot assume that minority groups will simply assimilate into the dominant culture, rather we need to have active measures that include various culture behaviors into campus life and encourage groups to celebrate others' differences (Cuyjet, p. 47). Some existing strategies in place at Utah State to address this need include the Access & Diversity Center, minority clubs, honor societies, and leadership councils; and ethnic events open to students, faculty and the public. The Access & Diversity Center provides programs and support for LGBTQA, multicultural, and non-traditional students. To encourage multicultural student retention, I will encourage students to engage with the Access & Diversity Center, get involved with groups or organizations to promote their own heritage and the heritage of others, and attend multicultural events. This way, minority students can find support and community and all students can learn more about and be bettered by the diversity at Utah State University.
To further improve the institutional climate and retention of multicultural students, the Student Services division at USU has plans to create an intercultural center for students and faculty to become trained and knowledgeable about the diversity on campus. With this knowledge, we can move toward inclusiveness for all peoples and help them find their place at the university. USU also is developing a Inclusive Excellence (diversity) Smyposium conference as an annual event to promote diversity awareness for faculty, staff and students and lead to the inclusivity of all students on our campus. These programs will help increase retention has faculty and staff reach out to multicultural students and help them find a connection to campus and feel that they belong here.
To further improve the institutional climate and retention of multicultural students, the Student Services division at USU has plans to create an intercultural center for students and faculty to become trained and knowledgeable about the diversity on campus. With this knowledge, we can move toward inclusiveness for all peoples and help them find their place at the university. USU also is developing a Inclusive Excellence (diversity) Smyposium conference as an annual event to promote diversity awareness for faculty, staff and students and lead to the inclusivity of all students on our campus. These programs will help increase retention has faculty and staff reach out to multicultural students and help them find a connection to campus and feel that they belong here.