Student Recruitment and Retention Center

During Winter quarter of the 1998-1999 school year, the student body of UC Davis passed the FACE Initiative. This allowed for the formation of student-initiated and student-run recruitment and retention centers. The 1999-2000 academic year gave witness to a monumental event on the Davis campus, the implementation of these current programs. Currently, these student lead recruitment and retention programs are only the second of its kind within the nation. The upcoming years will see the continuous development of the only services on campus directly accountable to students.

The Student Recruitment and Retention Center offers programs for many different communities:

The Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention program seeks to address the unique needs of graduate student populations, which have been historically under-represented. While still in the early planning stages this first of its kind program, sets forth these broad ranging goals: developing projects such mentorship between Graduates and Undergraduates, workshops, round table discussions that will provide support for graduate students at critical points of their academic career, decrease student isolation by serving as a base for networking among under-represented student populations.

SAFE aims to empower Southeast Asian students to actively pursue higher education, retain Southeast Asian students currently enrolled in institutions of higher learning and engage parents in the educational process. Through recruitment, retention, resource and referral services, SAFE will empower students to successfully enter into and graduate from institutions of higher education.

Outreach efforts will target Southeast Asian high school students within the Sacramento area. The services provided include: college workshops, campus visits, parent workshops, and resources.

AIRR was created by the Native American Student Union (NASU) to address the needs of the UC Davis American Indian population. AIRR is dedicated to reversing low graduation, recruitment and retention rates by utilizing a holistic approach to student development.

Efforts will include cultural identity workshops, support groups, community dialogue circles, retreats, and leadership development skills.

ACE will guide and empower students early in their school careers (starting in 8th and 9th) to prepare themselves for the pursuit of higher education. ACE will provide current UC Davis students will holistic support and tools to complete their undergraduate careers.

Services include a mentorship program, campus visits, parent workshops, study halls and a book exchange.

Bridge began over a decade ago as a committee under Mga Kapatid to combat the decreasing number of Filipinos pursuing higher education.

Outreach services include workshops on college life, application and financial aid workshops, Fall conferences for high school students and parents, and a Spring trip. Target schools include Vallejo, Burton, Balboa, St. Francis, and Valley High Schools.

Retention and Resource Program include weekly study halls to provide a different learning environment, tutoring, guides to academic, personal, and social resources, files and sample midterms and finals, class and professor evaluations, and workshops to improve student study skills.

This program is aimed at recruiting and retaining the Chicana/o and Latina/o student population. Outreach efforts focus on youth not targeted by existing, conventional outreach programs. Yik'al Kuyam outreach efforts will focus on the development of holistic students while facilitating critical consciousness and academically competitive students.

Outreach efforts include: high school workshops/visits, K-12 empowerment conferences, shadowing projects, university visits for youth, and tutoring. Target schools include Douglass Junior HS and Woodland HS.

Retention efforts include holistic peer counseling, speakers/forums; gender/sexuality dialogue circles, study halls, tutoring referrals and resource development.

CONTACT: Fernando Socorro