While many colleges and universities are struggling with a so-called graduation gap, Florida State University is receiving national attention for its record high graduation rate of African-American students.

More than 72 percent of African-American students - who make up 12 percent of FSU's student body - graduate within six years, thanks largely to the efforts of FSU's Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). Nationally, fewer than half of African-American students who enroll in college graduate within six years.

"We don't have a secret formula," said FSU Provost and Executive Vice President Lawrence G. Abele. "What we have is a comprehensive program that is dedicated to student success. A program like ours involves a major commitment by the university, but the return on our investment is huge."

FSU's success was highlighted in a recent report released by Education Sector, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington. "Graduation Rate Watch: Making Minority Student Success a Priority," singled out FSU, remarking that no other large public universities have been able to match its success. "Many aren't even close," the report said.

The Education Sector report used federal data to identify universities with small or nonexistent gaps between the graduation rates of white students and black students as well as those with large gaps.

Following the release of the report, news media, including U.S. News and World Report, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education and the Tampa Tribune, followed up with stories about FSU's ability to buck the national trend with CARE. The center provides preparation, orientation and academic and personal support to students who are the first in their family to attend college or face other economic, cultural or educational circumstances. CARE begins reaching out to students in middle and high school and assists those who chose to attend Florida State until they graduate.

"Not all of our African-American students participate directly in CARE, nor are all CARE students African-American," said Dean of Undergraduate Studies Karen Laughlin. "But the efforts of this program also have a ripple effect throughout the campus, creating an atmosphere that is known to be supportive for first-generation and minority students."

Those who participate in CARE have the benefit of strong, peer mentoring;
small sections of select freshman-level courses in English, math, history, speech and literature; a study lab staffed with about 25 tutors focusing on English, math and the sciences; ongoing academic advising and personal counseling; and advocacy and referral services.

The CARE program is open to all students who meet certain criteria. About 65 percent of its participants are African-American.

"Students participating in CARE typically have socio-economic needs and challenges that must be addressed if they are to be successful," said Angela Richardson, director of CARE. "This is why it is important that institutions not just recruit this population of students but also maintain a viable support system that provides them with a comfort level in an unfamiliar environment. That is what CARE does. Our center is a home base where students know that people are genuinely concerned for them. CARE takes a holistic approach to working with students focusing on their academic, social, financial and personal needs."

As a result, CARE students are not just completing the coursework necessary for graduation, they are flourishing and distinguishing themselves as undergraduate leaders and scholars, Laughlin said. In addition, FSU's African-American graduation rate now exceeds that of its white students: 69 percent of whites graduate within six years.

For more information about CARE, visit <www.fsu.edu/~care>.