Dear AHANA Students,

As many of you know, I am now in my seventeenth year at Boston College. It was September 1, 1978, that I first assumed responsibility for what was then known as the Office of Minority Student Programs at Boston College.

Over the course of the past seventeen years, a great deal has transpired at Boston College. An important change was made in the name of the office. Through the vision of two students acting as ambassadors on behalf of their fellow students who viewed the term minority as pejorative, and, therefore, used the services of our office sparingly, the name of the office was changed to the Office of AHANA Student Programs. The term AHANA is an acronym for African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American. The term is being used by more than thirty colleges and universities, school districts, clubs, and organizations throughout the United States.

The most important achievement of the Office of AHANA Student Programs over the years has been the complete reversal of a 17 percent retention rate in the late 1970s to a current retention rate of 93 percent for the target group of the office. The target group served by the AHANA office consists of approximately forty students who are required to participate in a six-week summer academic enrichment program, Options Through Education. Let me make it clear that the services of the office are available to all AHANA students who wish to use them, not just the members of the target group.

The 93 percent retention rate for the target group of students served by the Office of AHANA Student Programs at Boston College is significantly higher than the national average. The graduation rates for white students during the same period was 56 percent, for Asians 63 percent, for Latinos 41 percent, for blacks 32 percent, and for Native Americans 30 percent.

The need for support services for AHANA students attending predominantly white colleges and universities is well-documented. Jacqueline Fleming, an education scholar, for instance, points out that alienation, isolation, and loneliness are part of the experience of attending a predominantly white institution for black students. Similarly, studies show that over the course of four years, black students, in particular, will experience an incident of racial hostility. When this occurs there is need for a support system to be in place.

A broad array of services is provided by the Office of AHANA Student Programs during the academic year. These include tutorials, academic advising, personal and group counseling, and performance monitoring. The aim of these services is to assist AHANA students to excel academically and to overcome the inevitable feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness.

I sincerely hope that you will avail yourself of the resources provided by the office and come in to introduce yourself. We look forward to meeting all of you.

Dr. Donald Brown

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