The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will seek to build on its successful multicultural recruitment efforts when it welcomes students from two Milwaukee high schools for day-long visits to campus in December. Students from another Milwaukee school and from Wausau West High School will visit in early 2012.
Seniors and some selected juniors from Milwaukee Rufus King and Milwaukee Riverside high schools will visit in December. About 50 students from Rufus King will be on campus Dec. 6 and a similar number of Riverside students will visit Dec. 7.
Over the last decade, UW-Stevens Point has increased diversity enrollment by 132 percent, from 285 students to 660, and has risen to the top of the UW System in diversity retention and success. “We’ve been able to accomplish these milestones by being creative in the way we reach out to potential diversity students,” said Admissions Counselor Scott West. “We continue to partner with high schools and community organizations across the upper Midwest to attract prospective under-represented students and share a message of hope, honesty and collaboration.”
A key goal has been to create alliances with selected high schools with large diversity populations and successful academic reputations. “These alliances are important cornerstones in our efforts to advance the recruitment and retention of under-represented students,” West said.
During campus visits, students will receive an overview of UW-Stevens Point, participate in a panel discussion led by UW-Stevens Point students who are alumni of their high schools and tour the campus on a walk led by an alumnus of their high school. They will participate in presentations by the Noel Scholarship Committee, the largest diversity scholarship in Wisconsin. They will also hear from Multicultural Affairs, Admissions and Financial Aid representatives. Some will meet with faculty members and athletics coaches.
UW-Stevens Point has also partnered with other diversity organizations, including Pearls for Teen Girls of Milwaukee, a nonprofit leadership development organization serving at-risk, primarily African American and Latina girls, some of whom visited the campus in November. Milwaukee High School of the Arts will bring seniors to UW-Stevens Point for an overnight visit Feb. 17-18, 2012. They will audition with theater, dance and music theater faculty.
Diversity recruitment efforts at UW-Stevens Point is a team effort, West said, citing support from the offices of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Multicultural Affairs, Registration and Records, and the Chancellor.
