Chapter 6: Support Services for Students
Meeting the Needs of a Diverse Student Population

Recruiting and retaining a diverse student population is the central focus of our enrollment planning efforts. Our many programs and services designed specifically to meet the needs of special student cohorts, including students of color, are discussed in Chapter 8. The efforts of support services are described below.

• The Act 101/PACE program has recently undertaken several measures to improve the retention of its very diverse student population. An Act 101/PACE Honor Roll has been established. An honors ceremony recognizes those students with a 3.0 grade point average or higher; their photographs are displayed in the program's offices. Reading instruction in the summer program has improved over the last few years through smaller classes, use of the Nelson-Denny Reading Assessment, and use of graduate assistants to assist the reading instructor. Junior and senior Act 101 students mentor Act 101 freshmen and sophomores. As a result of such initiatives, six-year graduation rates have improved markedly, from 30% for students entering in 1989 to 45% for students entering in 1992. The gap between six-year graduation rates of Act 101/PACE students and students at large has narrowed from 36% to 20%.
• The Academic Advisement office provides special services to students who have not yet chosen a major, students with learning disabilities, and non-traditionally-aged students enrolled in the Adult & Continuing Education (ACE) program (see Chapter 9). It administers and facilitates the Improve My Performance Program mentioned earlier.
• The Bursar's Office attempts to meet the needs of a diverse population by making the paying of tuition and fees as convenient as possible for students and their families by offering a variety of payment plans and carefully timing bill due dates.
• Career Services works with the Lancaster Partnership (see Chapter 9), and with organizations such as the Black Student Union and the Women's Center in order to increase student participation. It is expanding opportunities for students with disabilities to use Career Services technology and provides educational programs on sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Dining and Conference Services attempts to respond to a changing customer base and an evolving student population, which is becoming more sophisticated nutritionally and more diverse in its needs. Greater recognition of the dietary preferences of various ethnic groups could benefit all our students.
• Financial Aid's commitment to serving a diverse student population is demonstrated by its expanding programming to help first-generation elementary and middle school students and families prepare for college, its bilingual peer counselor, and its use of Spanish versions of U.S. Department of Education forms.
• The Registrar's Office attempts to accommodate the special registration and scheduling needs of many student populations, including Honors students, ACE students, student teachers, students with disabilities, students studying abroad, students from the Lancaster Institute of Higher Education, and freshman student athletes.
• University Police attempt to meet student needs by recruiting more diverse students for its intern program; providing training and programming on disabilities, sexual orientation, and abusive relationships; and developing a brochure on criminal harassment and a bilingual brochure.
• Witmer Health Services is implementing customer service training that emphasizes diversity issues.