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Latino-Native American Cultural Center newspaper clippings, 1970-2001
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Diversity From 3A back-owned radio station in Waterloo and hosting lectures by minority alumni around the state, Coleman told the students. UI also has specific retention and recruitment programs, including scholarships and financial aid. But UI's minority retention rates are still below those of the two other state universities, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa. Reports to the Iowa state Board of Regents last month showed UI's minority enrollment this fall declined 3.4 percent, while enrollment at ISU and UNI was up 13.5 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.However, Coleman said the retention rates are somewhat misleading because they reflect an increasing number of minority students graduating in four to six years. lard, Livings and Cruz were among six UI minority students -- all expecting to graduate this year -- who demanded to speak with Coleman after comparing their own UI experiences with the minority retention rates released earlier this fall. Primarily, the students complained about lack of financial support for some of the programs they found mos useful as minority students on a predominantly white campus. "I was in my dorm room crying my eyes out for almost a month until the pen pal program forced me to meet my pen pal," said Cruz, who now runs the program for UI. The students complimented UI's African-American and Latina/Latino cultural centers, one of which Jones helped implement on campus more than 30 years ago. But the students said they lacked funding for maintenance and programming. African-American students complained that a painting project at the African American Cultural Center on Melrose Avenue was interrupted and delayed so painters could more to a project in Coleman's office earlier this year. "It just sent a really negative message," African-American student Acooa Lee said. Cruz said the Hispanic American Cultural Center was integral to her decision to stay at UI, despite a miserable first month on campus. "I searched out my community, but it was hard. Once I found (the house), it was easier. It was the one place I could go and know I could be in a home-like setting, which I think for the Latino culture is more comfortable than an office setting," Cruz said. Lee added that she was disheartened by turnover among staff members in the offices that minority students find most helpful. She also asked why more money isn't given to minority programs if retention of minority students is a problem. "Students begin here and they leave. And they are not dropping out, they are going to different schools," she said. But Coleman and Jones said minority-specific student groups have been victims of their own success. As such groups became more plentiful, competition for funding got more intense while available funding remained fairly constant, Jones said. "The last time I checked, there were 14 to 20 minority student organizations funded by student government," Jones said. "The number has grown as student interests became more diversified." "The growth of student organizations is a positive and a negative," Coleman added. "As they grow, the resources get dispersed and spread out. There's not just one organization for Native Americans or Latin Americans, there's several. So the resources are more spread out.
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Diversity From 3A back-owned radio station in Waterloo and hosting lectures by minority alumni around the state, Coleman told the students. UI also has specific retention and recruitment programs, including scholarships and financial aid. But UI's minority retention rates are still below those of the two other state universities, Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa. Reports to the Iowa state Board of Regents last month showed UI's minority enrollment this fall declined 3.4 percent, while enrollment at ISU and UNI was up 13.5 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.However, Coleman said the retention rates are somewhat misleading because they reflect an increasing number of minority students graduating in four to six years. lard, Livings and Cruz were among six UI minority students -- all expecting to graduate this year -- who demanded to speak with Coleman after comparing their own UI experiences with the minority retention rates released earlier this fall. Primarily, the students complained about lack of financial support for some of the programs they found mos useful as minority students on a predominantly white campus. "I was in my dorm room crying my eyes out for almost a month until the pen pal program forced me to meet my pen pal," said Cruz, who now runs the program for UI. The students complimented UI's African-American and Latina/Latino cultural centers, one of which Jones helped implement on campus more than 30 years ago. But the students said they lacked funding for maintenance and programming. African-American students complained that a painting project at the African American Cultural Center on Melrose Avenue was interrupted and delayed so painters could more to a project in Coleman's office earlier this year. "It just sent a really negative message," African-American student Acooa Lee said. Cruz said the Hispanic American Cultural Center was integral to her decision to stay at UI, despite a miserable first month on campus. "I searched out my community, but it was hard. Once I found (the house), it was easier. It was the one place I could go and know I could be in a home-like setting, which I think for the Latino culture is more comfortable than an office setting," Cruz said. Lee added that she was disheartened by turnover among staff members in the offices that minority students find most helpful. She also asked why more money isn't given to minority programs if retention of minority students is a problem. "Students begin here and they leave. And they are not dropping out, they are going to different schools," she said. But Coleman and Jones said minority-specific student groups have been victims of their own success. As such groups became more plentiful, competition for funding got more intense while available funding remained fairly constant, Jones said. "The last time I checked, there were 14 to 20 minority student organizations funded by student government," Jones said. "The number has grown as student interests became more diversified." "The growth of student organizations is a positive and a negative," Coleman added. "As they grow, the resources get dispersed and spread out. There's not just one organization for Native Americans or Latin Americans, there's several. So the resources are more spread out.
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