Student ambassadors reach out to prospective minority students

In 2004, about 4 percent of the student body was black, 3 percent was Asian and 2 percent was Hispanic. For more than a decade, IU has been tapping a few dozen of these minority students to recruit other racial minorities to IU in order to maintain and increase diversity.\nTraining for the Multicultural Outreach Recruitment Educators and Hoosier Overnight Student Team program is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Whittenberger Auditorium in the IMU. Students are asked to call Willis Cheaney at 855-0667 by 3 p.m. Friday to reserve a space and ensure enough food will be available.\n"Students are integral in getting the student perspective to potential students," Director of Multicultural Outreach Charleston Sanders said. \nSanders said the student ambassadors make critical connections to prospective minority students.\n"Students of color are more likely to hear the IU story from another student of color, (and they) want to know if this is a place they can come feel at home," he said.\nStudents in the MORE program actively recruit African-American, Latino, Asian and American Indian students to IU. MORE give campus tours, participate in panel discussions, call admitted students and travel to other cities, according to the MORE Web site.\nIn the HOST program, IU \nstudents are paired with high school juniors and seniors, who spend a night in a dorm, visit classes, and participate in other campus activities, according to the Office of Admissions Web site.\nStudent ambassadors can share information such as personal experiences that prospective students might not find in a brochure. \n"A current student talking with a prospective student is the most reliable resource," said Cheaney, the assistant director of admissions and coordinator of the Student Ambassador program.\nAnother division of student ambassadors are campus tour guides. Cheaney said space is currently full for interested tour guides until December. \nDirector of Admissions Mary Ellen Anderson will address the student ambassadors as part of their training Saturday. \n"The wonderful thing about this campus is because we have such a diverse student body in terms of representation, any student coming to IU will meet students like themselves," Anderson said. "(Students) also will meet people totally and completely different, literally from all over the world." \nCheaney encourages interested students to become active in the recruiting process.\n"This is a wonderful way to represent your university, and really shape the minds of prospective students," Cheaney said. "(Ambassadors) can talk about experiences as to why they chose IU and some of the benefits. If you're happy with the school you chose, and would like to share the message with other incoming freshmen, this is an excellent opportunity to do so," he said.\nAnderson said student outreach is critical for increasing campus diversity.\n"We think that diversity is important. Period," Anderson said. "Diversity overall, whether (involving) various ethnicities, out-of-state students, international students, religions, we know all of those students bring something unique to IU"