a message
from the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs
Bianca D. Evans
The year 2011 has been an exceptional year for the COSAM Office of Diversity and
Multicultural Affairs. The COSAM Summer Bridge Program continues to be one of our most
successful strategies for attracting and retaining minority undergraduates for careers in sciences,
mathematics and health professions. This year, we recruited our most outstanding students
to date and raised the bar with the highest ACT score median for the 2011 Summer Bridge
Program. As 2011 has come to a close, we reflect upon the changes made to continue our
success.
We began the new year with one goal in mind: improving our programs for recruitment,
retention, and graduation of minority students. We staged the 15th Annual Summer Bridge
Program, adopted an expanded approach to recruitment, implemented additional retention
strategies, and encouraged academic achievement.
To expand our recruitment efforts, one new initiative implemented during the
spring was to attend the first KidSpark Conference: Empowering Students and Parents in
Birmingham. This event brought together more than 400 Birmingham-and Montgomeryarea middle and high school students and their parents to gain valuable information on how
to prepare for college. We emphasized the importance of attending college, the strength of a
degree from Auburn University, and the great resource of COSAM to encourage growth and
success of minority students who choose to attend. This event was organized by long-time
Summer Bridge supporter Bell Rogers. Other recruitment initiatives included hosting the
Annual Minority High School Visitation Day that brought together 95 students, parents and
counselors from 10 high schools.
During the 2011 Summer Bridge Program, we recruited 20 outstanding pre-freshmen from
six states with the highest ACT score (24.75) of a SBP cohort to date. Although many of our
SBP cohort were graduates of underserved schools and/or first-generation college students, they
embraced the challenge of completing four weeks of intensive coursework in chemistry and
mathematics, pursued the improvement of time management and study skills, and served as an
example to others during community engagement activities. Michael B. Williams, MD, a local
cardiologist and member of both the COSAM Leadership Council and the AU Foundation
Board, served as our Awards Luncheon speaker and inspired our SBP participants to strive to
achieve their highest potential.
Our retention strategies included a new initiative targeting groups for counseling and
advisement. We incorporated a format that brings together food and great conversations, such
as Lunch ’N’ Learn sessions and Monthly Forums with topics ranging from test anxiety to
resumés. These retention strategies were well received by students, and we are encouraged that
the addition of these strategies will continue to prove effective in enhancing student leadership
and achievement. Keeping an open dialogue is important, and minority students are achieving
in every endeavor. As examples, Leonard Jordan was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, Kyle Adams
became a COSAM Leader, and five Summer Bridge Program alums were accepted to the
Harrison School of Pharmacy.
The COSAM Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs has experienced many changes
through 2011, including the August departure of Dr. Velma B. Richardson, the associate dean
for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Also, in January, the office extended a warm welcome
to Eddrina Miller, a graduate intern and doctoral student from the Department of Counseling
Psychology in the College of Education.
As I reflect upon the year of 2011, I am reminded that change is always inevitable and
that we must double our efforts to seek out, encourage and provide every opportunity to foster
greater dialogue among minority students. It has been encouraging to see the success of many
of our minority students.
Bianca D. Evans
Minority Programs Coordinator
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Journey/2012