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North Florida Community College (NFCC) strives continuously to see its students succeed and is initiating a new program, the NFCC Minority Success Program, that will help more minority students succeed from admission to graduation. The program will offer a network of support on campus; focus on academic achievement, civic engagement and personal enrichment; and connect students with community mentors to maximize results and help students excel.
Program coordinator Marvin “Merv” Mattair is leading this initiative and, aligned with the program’s slogan, working to “build a bridge of success which no one has to cross alone.”
“Since I began working on this project with NFCC, it has become very clear that the college puts students first in every respect,” said Mattair. “This program is going to help more local students and offer resources and mentorship to those students who put forth a commitment to succeed. I am excited to be now recruiting students into the program and working with our NFCC Minority Success Program advisory board to get this program started on the right track.”
While many common success barriers impact all student groups at NFCC, completion rate statistics at the college show that minority students have a higher rate of non-completion compared to non-minority groups. Adding the Minority Success Program, in addition to already established student support and academic success programs on campus, is a great step toward ensuring that all students successfully complete their NFCC journey from start to finish, according to NFCC President John Grosskopf.
“We are committed to providing all students at NFCC with the best possible environment and resources to help them reach their goals and better their future,” said Grosskopf. “It has been a pleasure working with Mr. Mattair on this initiative. I look forward to meeting the students who enter the program in the fall as well as the community members that sign on as mentors, and watching this program grow.”
The NFCC Minority Success Program is open to minorities from NFCC’s six-county service district – including Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor counties – who are, or will be, enrolled full-time or part-time at NFCC beginning Fall Term 2016. Applicants will be required to enroll in Strategies for Academic Success (SLS 1103) during their first semester at NFCC and must agree to participate in program activities and commit to best practices for academic success. Space in the program is limited. Deadline to apply is August 30.
Those wishing to participate in the program must complete a program application and should contact either Merv Mattair, NFCC Minority Success Program coordinator, at (850) 673-1003 or lifeinhd20@gmail.com, or NFCC Director of Recruitment, Advising, and Retention Philip Wilkerson at (850) 973-9455 or wilkersonp@nfcc.edu. For more information on applying to or supporting the NFCC Minority Success Program, visit www.nfcc.edu (Minority Success Program).