News Announcement
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Cheryl L. Kight - Vice President, Marketing

Columbus, May 2009

AT&T, JPMORGAN CHASE SPONSOR DIVERSITY FORUM ON MINORITY RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS AT OFIC MEMBER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) hosted its annual Spring Diversity Forum, sponsored by AT&T and JPMorgan Chase, on May 28, 2009 on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University.  Thirty-six OFIC admissions and multicultural staff members representing 14 OFIC member colleges attended.  The purpose of the forum was the presentation of reports on the results of minority recruitment programs planned and implemented by Baldwin-Wallace College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Ohio Northern University, Otterbein College and the University of Dayton.   Program funding was awarded to the campuses by AT&T and JPMorgan Chase through a competitive selection process coordinated by OFIC.

Programs were designed to operate in collaboration with urban school districts, community colleges and college access programs to recruit minority students and provide them with an opportunity to pursue a quality education.  More than 700 high school students, college students, as well as faculty and staff, were involved in and directly impacted by the five programs.

The morning agenda featured reports by the recruitment program directors on the successes of each program, challenges faced and lessons learned.   The Rev. Josephus Foster, Mount Vernon Nazarene University board member and founder of the Fountain of Hope in Columbus, Ohio, spoke to the group at lunch about that program’s mission to provide after-school and summer programs for at-risk youth.  During the afternoon portion of the forum, breakout groups of attendees discussed the challenges faced by low-income communities, schools, students and families regarding college attendance.   Also topics for discussion were best practices and solutions to challenges in the recruitment and retention of minority students, as well as preparation of students for college and the provision of financial aid.  

OFIC holds these forums periodically as part of its ongoing diversity initiative. 

OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 independent Ohio colleges and universities and operates one of the largest, most comprehensive and diverse scholarship management services in the state.  OFIC member colleges collectively enroll nearly 97,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 59 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education. OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.