1. Mississippi AGEM o state is 37% African- American o Alliance of doctoral granting institutions in Mississippi o University of Mississippi (lead) o Mississippi State University o University of Southern Mississippi o Jackson State University (an HBCU) o UM Medical Center o several regional HBCUs o built on prior history of interactions (LS-AMP, EPSCor)

2. Recruitment and Admission Recruitment and Admission How do we recruit? How do we recruit? How do we recruit URMs? How do we recruit URMs? How do we recruit URMs as an Alliance? How do we recruit URMs as an Alliance? How do we admit? How do we admit URMS? How is the Alliance involved in admission?

3. How do we recruit? How do we recruit? Fairs and campus-visit days Fairs and campus-visit days Personal contacts (e.g., faculty, friends) Personal contacts (e.g., faculty, friends) Mail literature (directed or mass) Mail literature (directed or mass) Departmental recruiting Departmental recruiting Web page and e-mail Web page and e-mail Dot com web postings Dot com web postings Drop-in campus tours Drop-in campus tours Current students as ambassadors Current students as ambassadors

4. How do we recruit URMs? Fairs (targeting HBCUs) Fairs (targeting HBCUs) Personal contacts Personal contacts Directed mailings (McNair Scholars, ETS Finder service, AMP participants, etc.) Directed mailings (McNair Scholars, ETS Finder service, AMP participants, etc.) Support departments that do a good job Support departments that do a good job Web page needs to tell diversity story Web page needs to tell diversity story Student ambassadors (minority) Student ambassadors (minority)

5. 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 Financial aid Living conditions/costs Living conditions/costs Academic program requirements Academic program requirements Student development/support activities Student development/support activities Develop the UG pipeline; promote mentoring Props and press

6. Obstacles in recruiting URMs Minorities are in the minority Minorities are in the minority Going against nurture Going against nurture Discomfort/mistrust of academic institutions Discomfort/mistrust of academic institutions Often URMs are less aware of graduate education opportunities and application strategies; often URMs apply late Often URMs are less aware of graduate education opportunities and application strategies; often URMs apply late Many are recruiting the same individuals Many are recruiting the same individuals Many URMs have an uneven UG preparation Many URMs have an uneven UG preparation URMs often have greater financial obligations URMs often have greater financial obligations Firmness of support at the top (and negative institutional image) Firmness of support at the top (and negative institutional image) Other lucrative opportunities Other lucrative opportunities

7. How do we recruit URMs as an Alliance? Recruit together (e.g., web site, fairs) Recruit together (e.g., web site, fairs) Recognize that we can’t keep them all down South Recognize that we can’t keep them all down South Expand the pool of interested/prepared students via REU opportunities Expand the pool of interested/prepared students via REU opportunities Work together on research and education Work together on research and education IGERT, EPSCoR LS AMP and other programs

8. Admissions Decisions How do we make admissions decisions? Through academic departments Through academic departments How do we make admin decisions for URMs? Essentially the same way Essentially the same way How is the alliance involved? Isn’t, except for joint programs Isn’t, except for joint programs

9. 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