Artwork by
Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

CAFNR Student Ambassadors Build Foundation for Minority Student Recruitment Team
By Lori Guthals-Waters, Corner Post Staff

Seven students striving to increase diversity in CAFNR started a team much like Student Ambassadors, but with a focus in recruiting minority students called the Minority Student Recruitment Team. The CAFNR Student Ambassador team is primarily used as a tool to recruit students into the college. Ambassadors can be found traveling to schools, assisting at Preview Mizzou, and appearing at booths throughout the year promoting CAFNR. The Minority Student Recruitment Team is using the same approach.

“The college could not function in student recruitment without the (student ambassador) team” said Ce Ce Leslie, Coordinator of Student Recruitment, “and the Minority Student Recruitment Team will aid in recruitment while also diversifying CAFNR.”

Just as CAFNR finds success in recruitment through the Ambassador team, Marvin Burns, a graduate student in the Agricultural Education program and co-director of the Minority Student Recruitment Team believes that minority student recruitment and enrollment will increase as minorities become aware of the possibilities in CAFNR. Burns received the idea of starting a team like this upon his arrival to the college in 2003. He wanted to know if students of different races felt that the college was accommodating, and began a focus group to find an answer.

Currently there are approximately 2,000 students enrolled in CAFNR which breaks down to 1,689 Caucasian students, 173 international students, 100 African American students, 30 Hispanic students, and 8 Asian, Pacific Island students. As the team continues, they hope to bring the minority population of students to a new high.

The Minority Student Recruitment Team focuses on traveling to inner city programs in St. Louis and Kansas City to increase awareness of CAFNR, and inform about the variety of degree options the college has to offer.

“You can’t be a concert violinist if you don’t know what a violin is,” Burns said. A minority student isn’t likely to enroll in CAFNR, if they have never heard of the college.

Another solution to increasing minority population in CAFNR is spreading the word to high school counselors. “Many counselors in inner city schools aren’t aware of the degree programs CAFNR offers,” Burns said. “If counselors aren’t aware of the college, they aren’t going to be able to advise potential students to explore CAFNR.”

To learn more about the Minority Student Recruitment Team, you can contact co-directors, Marvin Burns at mjbc46@mizzou.edu or Rashida Thomas at rstgg3@mizzou.edu.

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