Recruitment, Retention & Multicultural Affairs (RRMA)

The Office of Recruitment, Retention & Multicultural Affairs (RRMA) is designed to assist undergraduate and graduate students in admittance to, retention in and graduation from the College of Education at the University of Florida. The College of Education is committed to increasing minority student enrollment and to providing focused support to underrepresented groups which includes, but is not limited to, life management skills, career exploration and development, tutorial services and leadership development.

Services

The Office provides supportive academic assistance to its students in an effort to ensure that each of its students graduate. The Office also provides academic counseling, financial assistance, test preparation and workshops for students in the college.

• Academic Counseling
• Scholarship and Financial Aid Information
• Test Preparation Software (GRE, CLAST, ACT, SAT)
• Career Development
• Leadership & Educational Workshops

The Office of Recruitment, Retention & Multicultural Affairs (RRMA) also provides graduate recruitment Information Sessions for district employees. Individuals seeking more information on undergraduate degrees in education may also attend these sessions. The Information Sessions are designed to enrich the understanding of attendees on how the College of Education can assist their pursuit of an advance degree and the various areas of study. These sessions will provide practical guidance in the application process and provide information on the College’s growing Distance Education program. For more information on upcoming events, please see UF COE Information Sessions.

Programs

Programs housed in the Office include:

• College Reach-Out Program (CROP) – Created in 1983 by the Department of Education, CROP is designed to supplement Florida universities’ and community colleges’ efforts to increase the possibility that low income and educationally disadvantaged students from grades 6 to 12 to go on to post-secondary education.
• Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. (FFMT) – In the Spring of 1997, the Florida legislature funded a program designed to increase the number of minority teachers in Florida’s public schools. The Minority Teacher Education Scholarship program awards performance-based scholarships annually to minority students who are Florida residents and have been admitted to a teacher education program at any of the 31 participating institutions throughout Florida.

Activities and Partnerships

• Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) – The Office has formulated a partnership with the IRT, a national organization which encourages college juniors of color majoring in the humanities, social sciences and education to enter the teaching profession.
• Minority Student Education Guild (MSEG) – The Minority Student Education Guild is a community service-based organization advised by staff members in the Office. MSEG is open to all students and provides a variety of programs for students attending the university and children and families in the community.
• UF Alliance – The Office interacts with schools involved in the UF Alliance, a statewide program which links the state’s universities to selected public schools.

Scholarships

The Office administers the Minority Teacher Education Scholarship (MTES). The Minority Teacher Education Scholarship (MTES) is available to newly admitted minority students in the college and is provided by the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. Scholarship applications for the MES are available in the RRMA office. Scholarship applications for the MTES may be downloaded at http://www.ffmt.org.