Empowered to the KORE: The Impact of a Student-Initiated Recruitment Program for Underrepresented Khmer Students

• In Event: 66.042 - Recentering the Margin(alized): Students of Color as Change Agents

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a student-initiated recruitment program (SIRP) for underrepresented Khmer students at a highly selective, four-year public institution and to highlight the importance of student agency and collective action for improving the recruitment and consequently, retention of students of color in higher education. Specifically, we examine the impact of Khmer Outreach, Retention, Education (KORE), a SIRP, during the 2010-2011 academic where the Khmer student yield (accepted/enrolled) increased at an impressive 34.1 percent. SIRPs not only provide a promising area of research for examining how student-initiated groups impact the experiences of their communities through student agency and collectivism, but also work towards structurally transforming the diversity on their campuses.

Authors

• Bach Mai Dolly Nguyen, University of California - Los Angeles

• Mike Hoa Nguyen, University of California - Los Angeles