Students say a three-day introduction to campus for first-year multicultural students at the University of Iowa is helping them build relationships and confidence as they transition from high school to college.
“Iowa Edge enhanced my ability to be more of an independent individual,” says Jennifer Rutledge, a recent participant in the program. “I was able to find a group of friends before the first day of classes and make the first day less intimidating. My college experience would be nowhere near the same without it.”
The Iowa Edge program was created at the University of Iowa in 2006, initially as a welcoming orientation program for new multicultural business students. It now accepts students from all areas of study, including African-American, American Indian, Asian American, Latino/a, and first-generation students who are the first in their families to attend college.
University officials say the program has been a resounding success. Ninety percent of students who participated in the Iowa Edge program in the fall of 2010 were still attending the University of Iowa in the fall of 2011. The high retention indicates the program helped to ease the participants’ transition to college life.
The 2012 program, which will be August 13-15, will begin accepting applications in mid-May from first-year students who have been admitted to Iowa for the Fall Semester. The program is held before the beginning of classes so that students can get to know the campus, and each other, before the semester begins.
The program includes free lodging, meals, and early move-in for participants, provided by a grant from the Kevin and Donna Gruneich Charitable Foundation. Activities in 2011 include teambuilding exercises with current students who serve as Peer Leaders, presentations about campus life and resources, tours, a luncheon with faculty members, and a breakfast with University President Sally Mason. The schedule for 2012 is still in development.
For more information about the Iowa Edge program, contact the UI Center for Diversity & Enrichment. For information about applying to the University of Iowa, contact the Office of Admissions.