HIGHER EDUCATION OU chief touts scholars program

Students in the program don't have to be 'A' students, the president said.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The president of Ohio University visited Youngstown on Tuesday to promote the establishment of the university's Urban Scholars Initiative to a group of OU alumni at the Youngstown Club.
Dr. Roderick McDavis, who became the university's 20th president in July, said the scholarship program is seeking 10 outstanding high school students from urban areas in the state and around the nation to attend Ohio University starting next fall.
Objective
McDavis said the Urban Scholars Initiative is a program aimed at helping to increase the diversity of the student population at the university.
Scholarships are provided based on financial need and academic accomplishment, but not necessarily the "A" student. "We are looking for students of great promise, a strong "B" student, who is highly motivated, students who possess leadership and who will succeed at Ohio University," he said.
McDavis noted that it is important to get the message out to students in urban school districts that they are welcomed at OU. "If you're not invited, sometimes you think you're not wanted," he said.
McDavis said he has been traveling around the state to talk about the program with alumni and educators. He said he is hoping the number of scholars will grow each year, with a maximum of 100 eventually.
Fund raising
The president, who earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio University, said $500,000 has been raised for the Urban Scholars program, even though originally the university was looking for $80,000 to fund the initiative. The McDavises were the first to contribute $8,000 to the program.
As of this fall quarter, there were 232 students from Mahoning County, 150 from Trumbull County and 89 from Columbiana County enrolled at Ohio University.