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New director appointed to lead FSU Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement

Tadarrayl Starke

Florida State University has appointed Tadarrayl M. Starke as the new director of the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). The university's divisions of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs jointly operate the center, which helps first-generation and economically disadvantaged students make the adjustment to college life.

Each year, CARE's Summer Bridge Program admits roughly 350 students who are beginning their academic careers at the university. At any given time, there are 1,000 to 1,200 Florida State students affiliated with CARE. The program serves both minority and non-minority students.

"The Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement is a vital part of Florida State University, and I am extremely excited for the opportunity to serve its first-generation students," Starke said. "I look forward to expanding upon the rich legacy of leadership CARE has benefitted from over the years, as well as connecting our students to the vast resources FSU has to offer for their academic, professional and personal success."

Starke succeeds CARE's founding director, Angela Richardson, who retired at the conclusion of the fall 2011 semester.

"Tadarrayl Starke is very well-prepared personally and professionally to continue the legacy that Angela Richardson developed through the CARE program," said Mary Coburn, vice president for Student Affairs. "He is an excellent role model for students and staff alike. Through his high standards and commitment to excellence, he will work tirelessly to ensure student success."

Starke, who has been the associate director of CARE since June, is working on a doctorate in higher education from Florida State. Previously, he earned a bachelor's in psychology and a master's in higher education, both from FSU.

Karen Laughlin, dean of Undergraduate Studies, praised Starke's commitment to fostering academic success and student engagement as a force that will inspire and motivate the students who are served by CARE.

"I am delighted to welcome Tadarrayl Starke as the new director of the CARE program," Laughlin said. "He brings tremendous energy, leadership and a clear vision for moving this nationally recognized program to the next level. His abilities as a team player will further strengthen the network of connections across the campus, which are so essential to the success of this program."

Laughlin praised Richardson as a tireless advocate for the center.

"Angie Richardson's work truly epitomizes the name of the office that she has led for the past 11 years," Laughlin said. "She has been a creative leader whose dedication and concern, for both students and her staff, have been keys to the development of this unique program.

"It was no small job to bring together an assortment of pre-collegiate and college-level programs under the CARE umbrella," Laughlin said. "In doing so, she helped establish a route to college success for hundreds of students who otherwise might never had had a chance to earn a college degree — much less earn it with the distinction displayed by so many of our CARE graduates."

By Jeffery Seay
2 February 2012

"He is an excellent role model for students and staff alike. Through his high standards and commitment to excellence, he will work tirelessly to ensure student success."

Mary Coburn
Florida State University Vice President for Student Affairs