Our History

In March 2010, the Teacher Education Recruitment and Retention Task Force completed a comprehensive report outlining the needs, rationale, and recommendations for recruiting and retaining students of color, men, and culturally and linguistically diverse students. In response, the Diversity Recruitment and Retention (DRR) Office was established, and a Program Specialist was hired to support Woodring College of Education in advancing its vision of increasing representation in teacher education programs, reflecting the demographics of the P-12 student population in the region (Diversity R&R Task Force Report 2010).  

By fall 2012, the DRR Specialist identified and implemented key recommendations and principles from the report. Since then, Woodring has adopted a more intentional and strategic approach to recruitment and retention, particularly focused on for students of color, men, and culturally and linguistically diverse students. The DRR Office has developed culturally responsive student engagement initiatives, launched peer mentoring programs, and enacted comprehensive college access strategies to support and sustain these efforts.  

Currently, in 2021 the Diversity Recruitment and Retention Office is continuing to build on the work initiated by the 2010 report through expanding their pathway and mentoring programs, scholarship resources, college access, recruitment, and retention practices.