"WHAT IS ?

	What's different about the College Posse Program 

is that it recruits and trains teams (or Posses) of 
students to address the issues of diversity on a college 
campus and to act as a support system to ensure each 
student's academic success.  A Posse is a team trained 
in cross cultural communication, public speaking, 
educational leadership and organizational development.  
A Posse is a group of young people representing the 
diversity of its home city (New York).  A Posse is a 
simple concept and a powerful agent of change.

	In 1989, Vanderbilt University took a risk on 
this new and innovative scholarship program.  In 
keeping with its University-wide effort to increase 
cultural diversity among the student body and improve 
student retention rates, Vanderbilt's Peabody College 
agreed to partner with metaNetworks to pilot test the 
Posse Program. Today, the Posse Foundation carries on 
the mission.  Posses are placed in four participating 
universities, Vanderbilt, Lehigh, DePauw and Rice.  The Posse 
Program will continue to identify outstanding students 
with incredible leadership potential as it expands 
nationwide.  

	The Posse Scholars have become a symbol for 
interactive communication on each campus, promoting 
positive change and growth.  Posse members, because of 
their leadership and vision, have made themselves a
voice for those who often go unheard.