Multicultural student enrollment is at an all-time high this year with 599 undergraduate minority students enrolled at IU Southeast this semester.
There is not a single reason for the increase, but there is a mixture of three factors.
“I think word of mouth has been the biggest factor,” June Huggins, director of the Center for Mentoring, said.
“Minority students are having good experiences here and have been telling others.”
Huggins said she also believes the residence halls and the campus’ reciprocity, which means IU Southeast offers in-state tuition to various Kentucky counties, are factors to the increase in minority student enrollment.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Center for Mentoring held the annual Multicultural Student Reception in the Hoosier Room. It was attended by approximately 80 students.
The tradition of the reception was started in order to welcome minority students and help them identify with the campus, thus increasing their sense of belonging.
“Students that make a connection with campus are more likely to persist and succeed,” Huggins said.
The event was kicked off by a welcome from Gloria Murray, dean of the School of Education. In her welcome, Murray offered words of encouragement to the students.
“The goal is to get here and leave with a diploma in hand,” Murray said.
Murray also highlighted the different types of mentors that are represented, including the silent, legacy, future and current mentors.
“Silent mentors are the people that are working to support you and you don’t even know it,” Murray said. “Legacy mentors are those who came before you and have done a lot to make sure you can go to college.”
Future mentors are those that are looking to become mentors and current mentors are those who are giving their time now.
The closing words of Murray’s welcome speech were words of strong advice to the students present at the reception.
“Study hard, study hard,” Murray said.
In closing, Huggins also offered words of advice.
“There are so many resources available on campus, so take advantage of them,” Huggins said.
Aside from social events such as the student reception, which is held for minority and non-minority students alike, Huggins said she would also like to mention the academic and career-based activities sponsored by the Center for Mentoring, such as the Mid-Term Review that is to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
“We’d like to continue to provide an array of services and activities for our diverse student population here on campus so we can have high student satisfaction for all students,” Huggins said.
By DESIREE SMITH
Staff Writer
demismit@ius.edu