Over 130 Students Participate in OICF College Fair

Published on Nov 19 2008 in Press Release by Bob Potter

All ten OICF colleges attended a college fair hosted by Self Enhancement, Inc. on November 19, 2008. This was the fourth consecutive year that SEI has hosted an OICF college fair. Over 130 SEI students learned exclusively about the ten OICF colleges and universities and had the opportunity to attend a number of workshops conducted by staff from OICF colleges and universities on topics ranging from: why to attend college, financial aid, admissions process, and what to expect at college. These workshops were designed to help students learn more about how to best prepare for the college experience.

The OICF is committed to increasing diversity among our member institutions and hopes that participation in these college fairs, as well as other collaborations between OICF and community organizations serving diverse populations can assist in reaching this goal.

Diversity, and the awareness and appreciation of individual and cultural differences are critical components in the development of both the economic environment and campus life. OICF’s Pathways to Leadership Initiative, launched in 2006, is a signature effort to collectively raise funds for equitable representation of minority and first generation students on our campuses.

Pathways to Leadership is conceived as a stabilizing tripod of support for equitable levels of representation on our campuses. In order to achieve our goal of equitable representation on campus, OICF Trustees are working closely with OICF and member school staff to aggressively support recruitment and outreach, retention, and scholarship programs that benefit underrepresented student populations. Each leg of this tripod bears equal weight in addressing the challenges faced by many students from underrepresented populations:

  • adequate preparation and readiness to enter the application and enrollment process,
  • requisite mentoring to overcome cultural and practical barriers to completion of academic programs, and
  • sufficient access to financial resources to sustain enrollment.

Contact:
Kevin Matheny
President/CEO
503-496-3420
kevin@oicf.org