“The better job we do at addressing these needs is just going to be better for the community and the state of Wisconsin as a whole.” said Dao Vang, coordinator for the Southeast Asian-American Students Services.

In Chancellor Carlos E. Santiago’s fall Plenary Speech, he emphasized a need for increased scholarship funding to succeed in the university’s aspirations for a more diverse student body. Currently, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee educates the largest number of Hmong students in the entire state.

Dao Vang is the Coordinator for the Southeast Asian-American Students Services office at UWM. According to Vang, there are about 466 Hmong students currently enrolled at UWM. That’s about 80 percent of the entire Asian student population at the university, and accounts for roughly 2 percent of the whole student body.

“UWM has been able to attract more students of Southeast Asian descent than any other college in Wisconsin including Madison,” said Vang, “And this is something to be proud of.”

Vang also expressed pride in the retention rate of not only Hmong students, but also Asian students as a whole. According to Vang, retention rates of Southeast Asian students are higher than any other multicultural group on campus.

Not only are these students doing well in school, they are also involved. Every April is “Asian Awareness” month, and a number of events are planned to educate and inform the UWM student body on Asian culture. Vang said that the two Hmong student organizations on campus run most events during the month.

Students born in another country also face many other challenges entering a university in a different country. According to Vang, many students have difficulties adjusting to a new culture and language.

“Language barriers are a very large issue,” said Vang.

According to Vang, large class sizes sometimes create an environment that complicates education for a student new to the language. Many instructors have classes with 50 or more students in the same room. Sometimes just three or four students are in need of extra help, but often don’t receive it.

The Southeast Asian-American Student Services office helps bridge the gap between student and teacher, to address struggles in the classroom. Vang regularly emails students he advises, and sees many of them regularly.

However, Vang emphasized a need for more assistance in bridging this cultural gap.

“One of the things I would like to see is more training for the faculty,” said Vang, “so if they see a student of color in their class they can understand what their needs are.”

Faculty members constantly filter in and out of UWM, Vang said. Therefore, many new faculty members enter UWM without understanding their culture on campus, and what their expectations are for professors.

Although Vang said UWM has done great things to make minority students feel welcome, there are still things to be done.

Vang would like to see more funding for Southeast Asian student organizations. According to Vang, these organizations should get an equal share in funding since Asian students make up two percent of the total student population.

“The better job we do at addressing these needs,” said Vang, “is just going to be better for the community and the state of Wisconsin as a whole.”

> Comments