Chapter 6
Campus Culture

 

Community Outreach

In addition to the programs sponsored by the above offices, a number of other campus activities promote diversity. Especially important are those that link the community and the university. Many of these programs are carried out through the five colleges but others are the work of the Diversity Programs Office or other units within Student Services and Enrollment Management.

Martin Luther King, Jr./Cesar Chavez/Rosa Parks Initiative (KCP): These state grant-sponsored programs awarded to the university are intended to accomplish the following:
• Help recruit and retain economically and academically disadvantaged
students (Select Student Support Services)
• Encourage minority students to pursue careers in college teaching
(Future Faculty Fellowship)
• Provide academic role models for minority students (Visiting
Professor Program).

Educational Partnership Program: This program encourages minority students to transfer from Delta Community College to SVSU upon completion of the Associate’s Degree. EPP services include career and personal advising, study sessions, mentoring, study skills training, and assistance with class scheduling and registration.

Opportunities for Professional Education in Nursing (OPEN): The Department of Nursing is in year 3 of a $523,000 federal grant, Project OPEN, specifically targeted to support minority and/or underprepared students within the university to enter and succeed in baccalaureate nursing education. An application has been submitted to continue funding this program.

Young Educators Society (YES): YES is open to middle and high school students and serves as an integral plan to mentor and recruit students, especially minorities from urban areas, into the teaching profession.

Grow Your Own Teacher Program: This program offers students the opportunity to work part-time as kindergarten paraprofessionals in area school districts while completing their course work at SVSU. The Teacher Education Department, Teacher Certification staff, and Office of Admissions work collaboratively to advise and conduct professional development workshops for students.

Teacher Cadet Program: This year-long course is offered to high school seniors as an innovative, hands-on curriculum-based course allowing students to explore teaching, develop lesson plans, and complete field-based experiences. An SVSU and Saginaw City School District partnership actively mentors and recruits students into SVSU’s Teacher Education Program.

Urban Teacher Preparation Program Partnership: The Urban Teacher Program is another partnership between Saginaw City Schools and SVSU’s College of Education teacher preparation program designed to recruit teachers, especially minority teachers, and prepare them to work with diverse student populations.

Minority Mentoring Program: The Minority Mentoring Program is a collaboration/partnership with Saginaw City community residents and SVSU; it provides support to minority students in their transition to university life and establishment of career goals.

Roosevelt Ruffin Symposium: Named in memory of a former SVSU diversity officer, each year the University invites urban students from the area to participate in discussions of diversity related issues.

Minority Student Organizations: SVSU minority students work through a number of service sororities and fraternities to increase the number of minority students on campus and to provide academic support. The work of these organizations is highlighted at a recruiting fair each fall.

The Gay-Straight Alliance: This student organization promotes awareness, tolerance, and acceptance of diverse sexual identities. It has hosted film showings, forums, discussions, and participated in rallies at the State Capitol.