Wabash College Works to Retain Minority Students

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — A small, male-only liberal arts college in western Indiana is hosting 30 students this summer as part of an effort to improve its retention and graduation rates for minority and first-generation college students.

Psychology professor and program director Robert Horton says it’s necessary because minority students have reported less favorable experiences studying at Wabash College. About 15 percent of the school’s freshman class last fall was made up of Black or Hispanic students.

English instructor Jill Lamberton says minority students also have expressed a feeling of culture shock when transitioning from an urban high school to a college in rural Indiana.

The (Lafayette) Journal & Courier reports that the Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program is funded by an $800,000 grant.