FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Barbara Klingman - Administrator, Scholarships and College Services

COLLEGE MINORITY RETENTION PROGRAM FUNDED BY BANK ONE AND UPS

October 19, 2004

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) announces that recent grants from Bank One, NA, ($50,000) and The Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE)/UPS National Venture Fund ($25,000) are making it possible to substantially increase the scope and impact of the OFIC Best Practices in Minority Retention Program in the 2004-2005 academic year.

Grants as large as $10,000 were available to OFIC member colleges and universities that submitted strong proposals to 1) replicate a practice that has been proven to increase minority retention, or 2) implement a new, creative approach to retention. Project directors will share intermediate and final results as well as lessons learned with all OFIC colleges and universities during the Spring Forum in May 2005.

Funded projects are being implemented on eight Ohio campuses this fall: Baldwin-Wallace College, Capital University, Cedarville University, Defiance College, Malone College, Otterbein College, University of Dayton, and Wilmington College. Jeffrey S. Wolf, President of OFIC stated, “We are pleased that these grants have been made available to our colleges and universities. This program will facilitate the journey from matriculation to graduation and will help to provide a full spectrum of learning experiences and services that will enable our students to fulfill their educational goals.”

Projects focus on a variety of solutions to minority retention, including peer mentoring, faculty/staff mentoring, family mentoring, multicultural learning communities, linking student services, pre-orientation programs, and community partnerships.

"The minority retention program captures the spirit of our giving program at Bank One and JPMorgan Chase," said Melissa Ingwersen, the bank's president in Ohio. "This program provides access to a top notch education to deserving young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to
attend one of Ohio's independent colleges."

"Bank One has taken great pride in supporting higher education in Ohio for more than half a century," said Jeffrey Lyttle, vice president of corporate philanthropy for Bank One and Chase. "I've seen first hand that this program produces real results. We're honored to be part of it alongside FIHE/UPS."

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges was founded in 1950 to conduct annual solicitations of companies and foundations to benefit private colleges in Ohio. OFIC today has 35 member institutions and more than 94,000 students. OFIC raises both unrestricted and restricted gifts including scholarships and endowments.

OFIC’s 35 member colleges and universities: Antioch College, Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.