Culturas De Las Razas Unidas, or CRU, and the Chicano/Latino Association held a reception Tuesday night at the Union for discussion between faculty members and students to find ways to improve graduation and retention rates for minority students.
Increasing communication between Chicano/Latino faculty and students helps ensure that students will make it to graduation day, said CRU co-Chair Isaias Solis.
"There hasn't been enough communication between faculty members and undergraduates," Solis said. "It's important to ensure that Chicano/Latino students know that there's a support staff here."
Vice President of Student Affairs Lee June said, since 1983, the retention and graduation rates for minority students have increased, but so have the rates for non-minority students. He said the 2004 graduation rates for Chicano and Latino students were below 60 percent, but it was about 70 percent for non-minorities.
"The issue we focus on is trying to close the gap," June said. "We've helped to close the gap, but the gap still remains."
Sociology senior Anna Villanueva, a member of the College Assistance Migrant Program, or CAMP, said she has seen several Chicano students drop out of college.
The CAMP program offers financial and social support to children of migrant workers.
She said there were 45 students who started in the CAMP program with her, but there are only about 12 who will make it to graduation.
"There's something wrong there," she said. "We need to look into finding a solution."
Villanueva said there are several social, personal, economic and academic factors that affect the graduation rates for Chicano/Latino students. The reception, she said, honored four members of the MSU community who have helped relieve some of the pressures students face by creating a support network.
Trustee Dorothy Gonzalez said bringing students and faculty members together increases communication about how the university can be more inclusive of Hispanics. The Hispanic population is the fastest growing population in both the state and nation.
"There's always room for improvement," Gonzalez said. "It's up to all of us to stand behind kids to make sure they graduate."
