OCU :: Multicultural Student Affairs

Since the inception of the Clara Luper scholarship program in the fall of 2003 and the American Indian scholarship program in the fall of 2004, we have experienced a cultural renaissance that is reflected in the quality of student life, academic richness and spiritual pulse on campus. Of course this type of change would not have occurred as quickly without complete support from the administration and isn’t solely a result of these programs. The successes of these programs provide us with inspiration and opportunity to grow our own diverse pool of applicants for open professional positions.

In cooperation with Human Resources, Career Services and Academic Affairs, Multicultural Student Affairs has developed this unique campus mentoring program that identifies and nurtures Clara Luper and American Indian scholarship recipients who aspire to obtain a career in higher education. We initiated this program in August 2008.

Our Provost introduced a more focused approach to diversifying faculty applicant pools. These efforts have provided some successes; however, the extended time commitments on faculty searches that have little or no success could discourage further efforts. This program seeks to recruit our brightest and most capable current scholars along with faculty and departmental staff in order to establish a pipeline of professionals in higher education. This program cannot replace continued recruitment efforts, with regards to minority faculty, but it could enhance those efforts significantly.

This program identifies qualified candidates through an application and interview process which is designed to create a match between student and discipline or area of interest. The application process also includes faculty, unit and departmental inquiries. Students are required to interview with prospective faculty members or organizational/departmental heads prior to being appointed. The program is a four step process that begins with recruitment. The programs selection committee members identify and recruit potential students by determining their area of interest and career goals. Each student applicant completes an application and resume prior to their preliminary interview. Upon determining the student’s area of interest and fit, the committee members recruit potential faculty and staff within those areas. The second step requires the student interview with his/her prospective mentor. After the interview the student and mentor complete a compatibility assessment form. The committee members will review the compatibility assessment form to determine if a possible match exists between the student and mentor. After determining a match the student and mentor are required to work together in developing a mentoring contract. The contract must be signed and contain certain information which:

clearly defines the expectations of both the student and the mentor
states the number of hours to be performed each week (no more than 10)
clearly describes the work environment
includes a weekly journal to be kept by the student
includes an annual activities report to be kept by the student
mentions a monthly mentor evaluation will be completed and submitted to the committee
mentions a monthly student evaluation will be completed and submitted to the committee
mentions an annual assessment report will be completed and submitted to the committee by the mentor

Assessment materials must be submitted to the program committee in a timely manner. Assessment tools are compiled each year for reporting purposes.

Students are compensated through their specific scholarship program. The Clara Luper and American Indian scholarship recipients are required to complete a minimum of 150 hours each year. Participating in this program would provide them with the opportunity to not only meet this requirement but also enhance their educational experience. Additionally, the students selected for this program receive an additional book stipend of $200 each semester through the Clara Luper book library.