UCO Launches Native American Success Initiative

August 12, 2020

In 2017, the College of Liberal Arts, in partnership with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Native American Faculty and Staff Association, and several passionate administrators, faculty and staff – including Dr. Myron Pope, Dr. J. David Macey, Dr. Catherine Webster, Dr. Timothy Petete, Ms. Meredith Seagraves, Ms. MeShawn Green, Ms. Liliana Renteria Mendoza, Dr. Stevie Johnson, and Ms. Stephanie Driver – launched the Native American Success Initiative (NASI).

The program seeks to address the challenges of retaining Native American students at the University of Central Oklahoma. The graduation rate for Native American students at UCO is 27.7% – the lowest among all racial/ethnic groups on campus. NASI – a first-year retention initiative grounded within an inclusive, dynamic, and sustainable infrastructure – is designed to address the academic, social, cultural, and personal needs of first-year students who identify as Indigenous. More specifically, this program was designed to help increase current persistence and graduation rates. While 28% of Americans graduate from college, just 10% of Native Americans attain a bachelor’s degree.

The fundamental aspect of the initiative is the establishment of an incredible and transformative foundation for all participants. Over the course of its four cohorts, NASI has empowered over 100 students to focus on cultivating their respective sense of belonging at UCO. Through intentionally designed curricular, co-curricular, and community programming, NASI participants (both mentors and mentees alike) have grown as leaders, explored their understanding of global and cultural competency, and most importantly, persisted toward graduation.

The Native American Success Initiative is comprised of four essential pillars that work in tandem to engage, empower, and educate native students. These four pillars are (1) Peer mentorship; (2) Cohort classes; (3) Student enrichment activities; and (4) Deliberate advisement. The intentional intersection of these four components aid tremendously to bridge the gap of persistence for NASI students by finding solutions unique to the barriers faced by those who identify as indigenous. In this regard, the initiative provides visibility and support for Indigenous students entering college.

We invite everyone – members of the faculty and staff, as well as current and former students – to join us in advancing the intellectual, cultural, economic, and social advancement of the thirty-nine Indigenous nations located in Oklahoma. For more information, please contact Ms. Dene Rossburr-Oletu (droseburrolotu@uco.edu), Director of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and Ms. Liz Tabak (etabak@uco.edu) Assistant Director of Diversity Retention.