Embracing First-time Students: The Retention Model That Works

This book provides practical and sensitive human service strategies, options, and solutions that facilitate first-time students' adjustments to their diverse lifestyles via the Project CARE mentoring model. The word CARE is an acronym that means "Caring Adults for Residents' Existence." Through a variety of socially engaging programs and activities held on campus, first-time students who live on campus are made to feel welcome, special, and embraced by successful alumni during their first year. This mentoring model is flexible enough to accommodate the needs and extenuating circumstances of first-time commuting students so that they may qualify, participate and benefit from this program. However, it is at the discretion of the program administrator and based upon available resources. This mentoring program maximizes the exclusive human resources, opportunities, and professional expertise of responsible alumni from varied disciplines. It also capitalizes on many of these same variables of alumni who work on campus in various capacities with students. This book is a living document with specific instructions, samples of start-up forms, letters and questionnaires to create a mentoring program. It also provides diverse lifestyle issues, problems and solutions that students' may encounter during their transition and adjustment periods. Participants of the Project CARE mentoring program are thoroughly interviewed, screened, and matched with a student of their preference. Benefits of the Project CARE mentoring model include but are not limited to: § Accommodating students' diverse academic interests, nationalities, personalities, and their once-familiar lifestyles. § Sensitizing parents to the academic support process and alleviating their anxiety during their children's adjustment periods. § Providing alumni with meaningful venues to give freely to their alma mater some of their invaluable resources. § Promoting goodwill, getting good press, and preserving the integrity of the institution.