Jim Vance, recently retired director of the American Ethnic Coordinating Office, always told his students to leave a position better than they found it.

With his development of several multicultural recruitment and retention programs that resulted in 521 multicultural students enrolled at UW-Eau Claire – more than ever before – Vance can say he lives by his word.

When Vance was hired in 1988, pre-college recruitment for minorities had a $3,000 budget.

The funding exceeds $140,000, but Vance is hesitant to take all the credit.

“There has been nothing but support from the faculty, staff and other students at the university,” Vance said. “Everyone can see some value in being part of a win-win situation.”

Increasing the number of minorities on campus is a winning situation for the multicultural students because it is an opportunity for a good education, said Jesse Dixon, student services coordinator of the American Ethnic Coordinating Office. It is a winning situation for the rest of the students because it gives them opportunities to learn about other cultures and viewpoints.

Vance and his team began recruiting multicultural students when the students were in middle school.

“The earlier you can get (minorities) to think about the positive aspects of education, the more likely you are to have them enroll at an institution and pursue a degree,” Dixon said.

When senior Gina Shirah began her search for a college, she had a lot of options. She was accepted to several prestigious programs, including a physical therapy program at Marquette University in Milwaukee that selected 15 people out of 1,000 applicants.

But after being introduced to Eau Claire by the pre-college program, she decided to go here.

“I’m really a true believer that the retention of students depends on the initial recruitment of those students,” Vance said.

That was why he made personal visits to schools in Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis to tell students about what Eau Claire had to offer.

During the summer, middle-school students can visit the campus and stay in the dorms for a week of activities and education.

Shirah met Vance when she was in sixth grade visiting Eau Claire on a summer retreat.

“This man wasn’t just trying to increase the number of minorities at UW-Eau Claire,” Shirah said. “He was interested in my personal success and he knew that I would succeed.”

Vance was right. Shirah is graduating in May with a double major in Spanish and biology, a minor in pre-medicine and a GPA that will impress graduate schools.

Although proud of leaving his position better than he found it, Vance is retiring to try his hand at consulting and diversifying workplaces.

“You come to a point in time where you have done all you can do,” Vance said. “I have built an initiative I am quite proud of, and now I am looking for the next challenge in my life.”