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May 2005 In This Issue
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HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESS, ASPIRATION AND AFFORDABILITY AT THE CAPITOL The Council is recommending that to turn projections around, more students need to succeed in K-12 education, matriculate to postsecondary education and graduate. This track toward postsecondary education can be summarized using the five A’s of College Success:
All Minnesota students, including the growing pool of prospective college students coming from populations that have not traditionally attended postsecondary education, must succeed in the five A’s in order to succeed personally and help meet our state’s need for more educated people. TRIO PROGRAMS CULTIVATE AWARENESS AND ASPIRATION
During a press conference, Chairwoman Sandy Pappas announced initiatives to be included in the Senate’s higher education proposal. St. Olaf College student Lily Moua spoke in support of TRIO programs. For Moua and classmates Melissa Hinderscheit and Jonathan Tischler, TRIO support has been critical to their postsecondary success. These three TRIO participants are the latest beneficiaries in a 15-year history of TRIO program participants to attend St. Olaf. TRIO programs at six member schools, including St. Olaf, currently serve over 2,900 students striving for academic success. The Senate committee’s proposal, a package of higher education initiatives that includes recommendations to support TRIO programs, the Minnesota State Grant Program and other higher education projects, is still being assembled. A higher education bill will be considered by the sSenate in mid-April. DAY AT THE CAPTIOL CARRIES MESSAGE OF STATE GRANT SUPPORT
In offices, hallways, and outside committee room doors, participants shared their personal stories with the lawmakers who represent their districts. Messages of gratitude for supporting the Minnesota State Grant Program in the past mingled with requests that legislators continue to support need-based financial aid for students in the current budget. Day at the Capitol is an annual event of Minnesota Private College Council that brings legislators and their constituents representing private colleges together to talk about need-based financial aid, specifically, the Minnesota State Grant Program. | VIEW PICTURES This day – along with other grassroots contacts – helps legislators understand that students are counting on them to make financial aid a priority. | JOIN THE ACTION NETWORK DESTINATION 2010: CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH THEIR FUTURES
The Minnesota Private College Fund and students from eight member institutions have been involved with Destination 2010 since its inception, providing tutor/mentors to students as they progress through their K-12 education. In addition to providing academic support to students and extra help to teachers during classroom time, the 36 tutor/mentors who committed their time to the program last fall are assisting with college visits this spring and helping students become more aware of their college options – that college is for them. During campus visits, Destination 2010 students, who are now in the seventh grade, learn about college requirements, financial aid, and life in and beyond the classroom. Often, they get hands-on experience as they work on an art project or complete a physics experiment. The visits strive to engage students in learning as well as introduce students to college possibilities. More than 250 Destination 2010 students will visit seven college campuses this spring. REGIONAL SUCCESS FEST SPREADS WORD ABOUT PRIVATE COLLEGES DIVERSIFYING AND DEMYSTIFYING AS WE GROW There is a new story to tell that is as likely to surprise. As our colleges continue to grow, our campus populations are beginning to reflect the demographic shift happening in our state. Students of color made up more than 10 percent of enrollments in private colleges and universities this year. Since the fall of 2000, enrollments of students of color have increased more than 32 percent. As demographic projections become reality, Minnesota students from all communities are increasingly finding their future paths on our colleges’ campuses. Degree production also has told an encouraging story for our fastest growing college populations. Last year, our colleges and universities conferred over 30 percent of all bachelor’s degrees and 27 percent of all master’s degrees awarded to people of color in Minnesota. Our institutions’ long-standing commitments to nurturing communities that provide the settings for engaging and appreciating differences undergird these trends, making our campuses more vibrant and diverse communities in which to learn and live. MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGE WEEK: HELP US SPREAD THE WORD NATIONAL POLICY GROUP NAMES SHAPIRO PROGRAM ASSOCIATE The Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation represent 17 of the state’s most respected four-year, liberal arts colleges and universities as well as more than 54,000 students. We are: Augsburg College, Bethany Lutheran College, Bethel University, Carleton College, Concordia College (Moorhead), Concordia University (St. Paul), College of Saint Benedict, College of St. Catherine, College of St. Scholastica, Gustavus Adolphus College, Hamline University, Macalester College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Saint John’s University, St. Olaf College, and the University of St. Thomas.
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It’s the time of year to daydream about and maybe even start making summer plans. We would like your help in spreading the word to prospective students and their families that they may want to consider spending a day or two in June exploring their future at a private college campus during Minnesota Private College Week – June 20-24. This free, week-long introduction to Minnesota’s private colleges and universities encourages students to explore their college options with campus tours and general information sessions offered twice daily at each campus. The week provides a perfect opportunity to test the “gut factor” and discover a school that fits.