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Della Elliott

In a recent interview, Elliott, the new coordinator of black student retention, had a telephone conversation while talking to a visiting student and handing him a dozen flyers to be posted on campus.

Elliott's office stays filled with activity, a cluttered desk and publications such as "The Black Collegian" and "Black Issues."

She’s been here about a month, and the bare blue walls of her Potter Hall office don't yet show the mark of her personality. But it's reflected in the attitudes of students.

Elliot "cares for the well-being of the total student and demands nothing but the best out of them," said John Carter, a senior from Youngstown, Ohio. As president of the newly formed Black Unity Alliance, Carter works closely with Elliott.

Her day's work involves counseling students and helping with minority recruitment and retention.

But Elliott's work is not limited to the office. She goes out where the students are, sponsoring a club and holding workshops.

She's "bubbly, energetic and always on the go," said Carla Lawson, a Georgetown senior and secretary for Student Life.

Elliott came to Western from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., where she worked as a therapeutic counselor. There she dealt with all students, except minority outreach programs.

"She came in here in high gear," said Phyllis Gatewood, one of Elliott's co-workers.

Elliott replaced Shirley Malone, former coordinator of scholastic affairs. She said she has received a positive reception at Western which "made my transition easy."

Since she's been here, Elliott has worked to get Western’s black student life where she thinks it should be.

That’s a two-fold plan which includes more minority representation at Western. "We need more minority representation beginning at the president's office, on down," she said.

Getting more minorities to attend Western and retaining them is the second part of Elliott's plan.

She has organized Black Unity Alliance and is sponsoring a series of 'Let’s Talk" minority workshops, a forum airing minority concerns.

Black Unity Alliance is a group of 28 students who meet weekly to plan activities for Western's black students.

Black students at Western are "eager and enthusiastic about doing well and being successful," she said. "All they need is support."

And she said she hopes to provide that. By the fall semester, Elliott wants to restore the mentor program for black freshmen, hold a minority career day and start a second tutorial program open to everyone.

"We don't design retention programs to separate," she said, "but to closely communicate and educate black students to prepare them to go into the mainstream of the majority population. "

Black students attending a predominately white university have special needs such as social support, communication, financial assistance and available resources, Elliott said.

Working with minority students has been something Elliott has wanted to do since going into the academic/counseling field.

"WKU Fills Position," Daily News, January 19, 1988.