May 6, 2015
Jaunita Dotson, director of the Upward Bound programs at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, has been selected as president-elect of the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance (ODSA) at its recent statewide meeting in Tulsa.
Dotson’s new position will require a three-year commitment from her, serving for one year as president-elect, then president and past president. From 2010-12, Dotson served as the public relations coordinator for the ODSA board.
ODSA serves as an information clearinghouse, a service organization and a cooperative agency for professional development of TRiO professionals within Oklahoma. Through its annual conference, ODSA continues to promote, develop and improve the educational opportunities for eligible individuals in Oklahoma.
TRiO programs are administered through federal grants to help underrepresented populations achieve a college degree. The Upward Bound program at Northwestern is designed to assist first-generation college bound students with academic, social and cultural experiences.
Northwestern’s Upward Bound program plays host to an annual summer camp where high school students take college preparatory classes for five weeks and participate in team building and community service projects. At the end of the summer camp, the students will go on a cultural field trip.
Northwestern’s program serves students from Alfalfa, Major and Woods counties. There currently are approximately 118 in the program with close to 40 students who will attend the summer camp.
Dotson has led the Upward Bound programs at Northwestern since November 2007. She also will serve on the regional board for TRiO called the Southwest Association of Student Assistance Programs.
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