UMFK looks to attract American Indians

FORT KENT — Small classes and ample individual attention given to students have long been the hallmarks of the University of Maine at Fort Kent.

Ted Mitchell, University of Maine associate dean of students and a Penobscot Indian, recently addressed faculty, staff and administrators at UMFK on the importance of those attributes in attracting Native American students to the northern Maine campus. Mitchell based his comments on his experiences in the education of American Indians.

Dr. Myrna Cassel, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Students Services at UMFK, said Mitchell could “help us get a better handle on why we are not attracting these students to the campus.”

Cassel said enrollment statistics at UMFK show that with the exception of Native Americans, the many cultural groups represented in the school’s student body, are well-informed about the school’s programs.

Mitchell said that one problem in attracting American Indians to UMFK is that the school is “out of the normal view” of most Native American high school students in Maine. “These students need to hear about UMFK,” he said.

He said that Native American high school students who have studied in schools near reservations want to go on to college and are looking for colleges with smaller campuses, like UMFK.

The university’s small classes and individual attention, said Mitchell, would most appeal to potential Native American students. Such an environment is conducive to success, he said.

Mitchell said fostering a “feeling of belonging” among Native American students and showing them someone cares, would go a long way toward ensuring their success. “What is needed is a little attention from the faculty, showing that (faculty members are) interested in them and do not want them to fail.” He cautioned, however, that “this must be done in a non-overt manner.”

Mitchell said that in his own experiences with minority students at UMaine, it was beneficial to encourage the development of student organizations on campus for cultural and ethnic groups.

Cassel said that Mitchell’s advice would be considered by admissions personnel to improve recruitment of Native American students to UMFK. It also will “assist our faculty and staff in providing the proper atmosphere for retention of these students,” she said.

Mitchell said that state and tribal scholarships are available to Native Americans through university financial aid offices and tribal councils.