An open house at the Native American Resource Center yesterday focused on targeting "at risk" students and decreasing the Native American dropout rate at the UA.

"We need to create more one on one advocacy for Native American students," said G. Bruce Meyers, assistant dean for Native American Student Affairs.

He said that while the recruitment of Native American students on campus has more than doubled since 1981, the dropout rate remains steady at 46 percent during students' first year of college.

Drop-out rates for other groups could not be obtained, but according to Registrar Office reports, of the 81 Native American students in the 1989-90 freshman class, 13, or 16 percent, graduated within six years. Of the 4,200 white students in the same freshman class, 2,182, or 52 percent graduated within six years. For Hispanic students in the 1989-90 class, 41 percent, 218 of the 530 orginally enrolled, graduated in six years.

Meyers created the Academic Intervention Student Advocacy program to increase Native American retention rates at the University of Arizona. The program was implemented this fall and is designed to provide more networking between faculty and students, Meyers said.

"Some students have been here two or three years and have never seen the faculty," he said. "Faculty have the most influence on academic sucess and are sometimes the last people students talk to."

The program has four part-time academic intervention specialists and Meyers said he plans to hire one full-time senior academic specialist.

The specialists divide the campus colleges into five groups so each specialist can concentrate on helping students in only two or three colleges.

There is an emphasis on more face to face contact in the program with all faculty on behalf of the Native American students, Meyers said.

"Before the program, the personal element of advising was being lost," he said. "If we just take a minute of our time to say hello (to the students), it makes a world of difference."

Melissa Vito, dean of students, said the program is a step in the right direction.

"We really want our students to be able to graduate," she said. "Bruce (Meyers) is fully supportive and I appreciate his energy in this program."

Saundra Taylor, vice president of student affairs, said, "There is no question we need to do a better job to support Native American students."

She added that with the intervention program, "Hopefully there will be more assistance and outreach to be consistent with the visions of President Pacheco and Provost Sypherd to improve undergraduate education."

Jonathan Schmitt, student member of the Arizona Board of Regents, praised Meyers for his program and encouraged members of the UA community to continue supporting the Native American Resource Center.

"I by myself cannot bend history and have a major impact," Schmitt said. "But I know if each of us do our part to spread a positive influence to our students, we will be able to change."

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