4.5.a. Policies, procedures and plans to achieve a diverse student population
The School is committed to achieving a diverse student body that reflects the composition of the population and communities to be served. It is also committed to preparing students to work in a multicultural society. To carry out its commitments, the School strives to create an environment that welcomes and encourages all students to participate in the life of the School and in activities that foster academic achievement.
Underscoring its commitment to these ideals, the School established the Office of Multicultural Services in August 2002 to provide leadership in this important area. Consequently, the School has recorded substantial improvement in student body diversity. Since 2002 when the School enrolled 56 students of color from the U.S., the number of students of color had nearly tripled to 147 by the 2005-2006 academic year. As a percentage of the student body, domestic students of color increased from 11 percent in 2002 to 15 percent in 2005-2006. Moreover, the School sponsors many activities to create a culture of diversity once the students arrive on campus and during their academic career. For example, during Orientation Week an outside expert provides a seminar offered to all students, staff and faculty on diversity. In addition, ongoing activities on diversity and minority affairs are offered throughout the academic year at the School and University.
To increase student body diversity, the School has undertaken a range of recruitment activities that include:
Joining recruitment efforts of the Graduate School, which has extensive outreach and participation in events with targeted under-represented populations (e.g., National Name Exchange Program, FAMU Feeder Program, McNair Scholars list, etc.)
Attending targeted recruiting events, such as the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
Participating in Project 1000 (a national effort to recruit, admit and graduate under-represented graduate students. Participating institutions agree to waive application fees for those applying through this project.)
Providing application fee waivers for students with verified financial need.
Maintaining close relationships with the University’s central Office for Multicultural and Academic Affairs, the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, the Graduate School Diversity Office and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. These offices primarily provide support to under-represented students.
In addition, the School seeks to build relationships with talented students of color who are on campus for various summer programs. At the 2006 Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Programs (LSSURP) and graduate programs fair, for example, the School interacted with the 40 to 50 undergraduate attendees (half of whom were minority students) from colleges across the country.
4.5.b. Recruitment efforts to attract a diverse student body; how these efforts are evaluated and refined over time.
In 2004, the School centralized recruitment efforts with the establishment of the Office of Recruitment Services. However, recruitment continues to be a shared responsibility throughout the School, involving faculty, administrators, students, staff and alumni, and is coordinated by the Student Services Center.
The Office of Recruitment Services is dedicated to recruiting intellectually vibrant candidates who are racially, ethnically and geographically diverse, by working with student affairs, academic programs, the advancement staff and alumni.
Recruitment strategies employed by the Office of Recruitment Services include:
Distributing the School catalog and related information
Distributing printed and electronic versions of School marketing materials to prospective students
Hosting regular on-campus Information and Preview Days for prospective students
Posting a toll-free telephone number
Increasing the use of technologies (Web site, e-mail, e-newsletter, etc.) to reach prospects
Developing a specific Recruitment Services Web page
Attending recruiting fairs (see list of Recruiting Events, below)
Assessing impact of recruitment activities through a data management/inquiry tracking system
Developing a communications cycle for inquiries and establishing five points of contact for each inquiry
Mailing information and sending e-mail messages to universities with undergraduate public health majors
Mailing information to specific programs around the country that could be feeders to the School
Advertising in select publications
Providing travel assistance to top prospects
Making presentations in undergraduate courses
Holding receptions for admitted students
Holding special event for students admitted to the Ph.D. programs
Recruiting Events
The following recruiting events took place from Fall 2004 - Spring 2006:
Conferences
American Public Health Association annual conference
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
CDC Conference on Increasing American Indians, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians in Public Health Careers
Minnesota Department of Health Diabetes Program annual conference
Minority Health Professions Foundation Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical Sciences
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)/Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) combined conference
U.S. Public Health Service Professionals Conference
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Graduate and Professional School Fairs
University of Minnesota, Morris
University of Minnesota, Duluth
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Atlanta University Center (Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta)
Morehouse Public Health Awareness annual conference
Iowa State University
University of Wisconsin, Madison
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Wartburg College
Luther College
University of California, Berkeley
Winona State University/St. Mary’s University Fair
Tri-College University (Concordia College-Moorhead, North Dakota State and Minnesota State University, Moorhead)
Ivy Native Council College Fair
Chicago area fair
Jackson State University
Spelman College Health Careers Program Recruitment Fair
On-Campus Events
Living and Learning Community Health Sciences House presentation
Promoting Healthy Children Conference
Food Fight: Dialogue on Food Industry Litigation (roundtable)
College of Biological Sciences resource fair
Health Career Center Fair
Lunch for Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Community and Special Events
Networking event for students of color with Minnesota Department of Health Office of Workforce Diversity.
Community reception for prospective students
Presentation for Northwestern University Latino Student Affairs program
Recruitment Evaluation
The School has been part of the inaugural launch of the ASPH Centralized Application System (CAS). Once it is fully optimized, CAS promises the functionality needed to further enhance the School’s ability to track effectiveness of recruitment activities.
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