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LAWRENCE -- A University of Kansas program designed to recruit and retain students of color recently was named one of the most successful programs of its kind by one of the nation's leading higher education consulting firms.
The Hawk Link program was one of three retention programs nationwide recognized by Noel Levitz, an operating division of Sallie Mae.
The consulting firm also recognized programs at Appalachian State University and Columbia College Chicago. All three programs received the Retention Excellence Award at the National Conference on Student Retention in Washington, D.C., in late July.
Robert Page, director of multicultural affairs at KU and head of Hawk Link, said the program was so successful because it collaborated with a number of services across the KU campus, including the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center, the Office of Admissions and Scholarships, the Office of Student Financial Aid and many others.
The Hawk Link program is in its fourth year; it currently has 175 student members.
Page said the unique program differs from other retention programs because of components such as its strong faculty mentorship program, free tutoring and an "early alert" system that checks the grades of Hawk Link students midway through each semester.
Furthermore, Page said, the program goes to great lengths to create special bonds with the students by developing social events, such as dinners and block parties.
Indeed, Hawk Link will hold an event this week to introduce new students to its many valuable services, Page said.
The Hawk Link Connection begins at 4 p.m. today in the Kansas Union and features lectures from Pearl Ramirez McDonald, a KU graduate and motivational speaker; Richard Johnson, dean of students; and Toni-Marie Montgomery, dean of the School of Fine Arts.
"We have a family atmosphere here," Page said. "It's about making sure each and every student is successful."
In the past three years, the retention rate of freshman students in the Hawk Link program has hovered around 80 percent, which is consistent with, if not slightly higher than, the overall university retention rates for those years.
"We have developed a program that works not only at producing the numbers, but we know each student," Page said.
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