Located in south-central Kansas, Wichita State was selected as a CollegeNET Social Mobility Innovator for 2019 because of its multi-year and institution-wide commitment to recruiting and retaining students from under-served and under-represented populations. Over the past five years, Wichita State has consistently ranked among the top 3-6 percent of all schools on the Social Mobility Index (SMI).
“Beyond our recruitment efforts locally, we’re intensifying our outreach in an effort to attract an even more diverse group of students to Wichita State,” says Richard Muma, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at the school. “But encouraging out-of-state enrollment will also enhance the future prosperity of Kansas by bringing talented young people to our campus who will, hopefully, stay in Wichita after graduation and work in our local economy.”
CollegeNET acknowledges schools -- such as Wichita State -- that are fostering social mobility through innovative programs. CollegeNET presents the annual Social Mobility Innovator Awards to student success leaders from U.S. colleges and universities at the Social Mobility Summit -- an annual forum on economic inclusion and best practices for student success held in Portland, Oregon each summer. CollegeNET recently published an e-book that offers best practices from student success professionals who are pioneering innovative programs that support under-served and under-represented students’ academic, personal and financial needs.
