Messenger - Vol. 2, No. 3, Page 15
Summer 1993
MBNA gift benefits minority students

     One of the nation's largest credit card companies, MBNA America, has
made a $1 million commitment to the University to help fund a minority
recruitment and scholarship program in the College of Business and
Economics.
     In  announcing the gift to the college's new Fortune 2000 program,
President David P. Roselle said, "Once again, MBNA America has assumed a
leadership role in our community, evidencing high degrees of social
conscience and corporate citizenship with support for a program whose goals
are to increase the number of minorities in the field of business, while
enhancing ethnic diversity on our campus.
     "We are enormously grateful to the people of MBNA America, who now
include more than 1,500 of our alumni and current students," he said.
     The college's Fortune 2000 features a comprehensive program of support
services for African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino/ Mexican-American and
Native American Indian students who are majoring in accounting, economics,
finance, management, marketing and operations management on the campus.
Students will receive academic and career-related assistance and take part
in motivational activities.
     According to Kenneth R. Biederman, dean of the college, the MBNA
America Minority Student Business Program will include the following
special services:

     * Pre-college business academic enrichment and career development for
       minority high school students in grades 9-12 during the regular
       academic year and the summer months;
     * Financial support for scholarships and awards;
     * A five-week College Residential Summer Academic Bridge Academy to
       assist incoming minority business freshman and transfer students;
     * Close academic monitoring, such as meeting with special advisers
       every two weeks;
     * Professional development workshops and mentoring by business
       personnel and faculty to provide students with opportunities to
       enhance their leadership, social and interpersonal skills; and
     * Summer employment and cooperative education opportunities.

     Terry M. Whittaker, assistant dean of the college and director of
Fortune 2000, was founding director of the RISE Program in the University's
College of Engineering. Under his leadership, minority enrollment in that
college rose from 5 to 12 percent within a three-year period.