The Knight Division for Scholarships and Student Inclusion is responsible for coordinating the college’s undergraduate scholarship programs and inclusive student initiatives, including the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups.

History

In 1988, the College received a five-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to increase the number of Black students in journalism and newspaper advertising. The office was first named the Minority Scholarship Program (MSP) with Bettye Grable as the first director. In January of 1989, Bettye resigned and Charles Harris was hired.

In 1992, the college met all goals for the original grant, including increasing Black students in both the advertising and journalism majors. The Knight Foundation extended the grant two additional years and in 1994, based on the success of MSP, established a $900,000 endowment to recruit and graduate underrepresented students in journalism and telecommunication.

In 1995, the Minority Scholarship Program and the College’s Scholarship and Placement Center were merged, creating the Knight Division for Scholarships, Career Services and Multicultural Affairs.

After 25 years of service as the director of the Knight Division, Mr. Charles Harris retired. Dr. Katrice Graham, a Knight Division Scholarship alumna, was hired as his successor in March of 2014. The Knight Division was relocated to the newly renovated Professional Advising and Teaching Hub in Weimer Hall Room 1060.

In July of 2020, the Knight Division underwent a name change, becoming the Knight Division for Scholarships and Student Inclusion. Career Services shifted to the new Office of Careers and Corporate Partnerships, freeing the Knight Division to offer more in-depth student support, data analysis and programming centered on maximizing every CJC student’s development and success.

Services

The Knight Division has evolved to include services such as:

• The Knight Division Digest (weekly E-newsletter)
• Positioning All Transfers Highly for Success (PATHS transfer student success program)
• CJC Student Diversity Task Force
• Underrepresented student recruitment
• Coordination of Fall and Spring College of Journalism and Communications Student Involvement Days
• General and internship scholarship programs management
• Student crisis support
• Knight Talks support (student talk show interviewing diverse industry leaders)
• Summer Media Institute scholarship sponsorship
• Facebook and Instagram pages

Contact Information

Knight Division for Scholarships and Student Inclusion
1060 Weimer Hall
PO Box 118400
Gainesville, FL 32611-8400
Phone: (352) 392-0289
Fax: (352) 846-2484