Mississippi AGEM
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Mississippi AGEM. state is 37% African- American Alliance of doctoral granting institutions in Mississippi University of Mississippi (lead) Mississippi State University University of Southern Mississippi Jackson State University (an HBCU) UM Medical Center several regional HBCUs
Mississippi AGEM
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Presentation Transcript
Mississippi AGEM • state is 37% African- American • Alliance of doctoral granting institutions in Mississippi • University of Mississippi (lead) • Mississippi State University • University of Southern Mississippi • Jackson State University (an HBCU) • UM Medical Center • several regional HBCUs • built on prior history of interactions (LS-AMP, EPSCor)
Recruitment and Admission • How do we recruit? • How do we recruit URMs? • How do we recruit URMs as an Alliance? • How do we admit? • How do we admit URMS? • How is the Alliance involved in admission?
How do we recruit? • Fairs and campus-visit days • Personal contacts (e.g., faculty, friends) • Mail literature (directed or mass) • Departmental recruiting • Web page and e-mail • Dot com web postings • Drop-in campus tours • Current students as ambassadors
How do we recruit URMs? • Fairs (targeting HBCUs) • Personal contacts • Directed mailings (McNair Scholars, ETS Finder service, AMP participants, etc.) • Support departments that do a good job • Web page needs to tell diversity story • Student ambassadors (minority)
Assess what works • Reward departments or individuals for success • Capitalize on pockets of success • Make the application process easy • Provide easy access to information • Financial aid • Living conditions/costs • Academic program requirements • Student development/support activities • Develop the UG pipeline; promote mentoring • Props and press
Obstacles in recruiting URMs • Minorities are in the minority • Going against nurture • Discomfort/mistrust of academic institutions • Often URMs are less aware of graduate education opportunities and application strategies; often URMs apply late • Many are recruiting the same individuals • Many URMs have an uneven UG preparation • URMs often have greater financial obligations • Firmness of support at the top (and negative institutional image) • Other lucrative opportunities
How do we recruit URMs as an Alliance? • Recruit together (e.g., web site, fairs) • Recognize that we can’t keep them all down South • Expand the pool of interested/prepared students via REU opportunities • Work together on research and education • IGERT, EPSCoR • LS AMP and other programs
Admissions Decisions • How do we make admissions decisions? • Through academic departments • How do we make admin decisions for URMs? • Essentially the same way • How is the alliance involved? • Isn’t, except for joint programs
Assistant Grad Dean reviews decisions • Stress use of multiple criteria (i.e, the GRE is not sacrosanct) • Provide departments with thumbnail sketches of their applic/admit data (including ethnicity, gender, residency, average GRE scores for discipline, etc.) • Sessions/lunches for GPCs and selected faculty (discuss recruiting and admissions criteria) • Offer to bring in borderline applicants for a GRE prep course • Offer to co-fund an assistantship for borderline cases