Indianapolis, IN (November 2010) – University College is proud to recognize Charlie Johnson, Director of Scholar Support Programs, for his recent publication. Johnson wrote one of the chapters in the following book published this year: Invisibility Factor: Administrators and Faculty Reach Out to First Generation College Students. The chapter, “The Nine Needs of Lower-Income, First-Generation College Students,” draws from Johnson’s interdisciplinary study of the unique needs of students who come from lower-income backgrounds and students who are the first in their family to attend college.
In the chapter, Johnson introduces social, cultural, and psychological factors that contribute to the challenges these students face and that often confound traditional approaches to student support. Johnson focuses on the “nine needs” he has determined are essential to help students in the Scholar Support Program at University College on the IUPUI campus. Johnson directs his attention on closing the gap between students with fewer resources and students with great resources by addressing the needs discussed within the chapter. With the help of Johnson and the program at University College, the retention rate and grade point averages have increased within the Scholar Support Programs over the past several years.