The specially funded program described in this report was implemented at the University of Minnesota's General College in Fall 1979 to promote the academic improvement and long-range retention of high-risk Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. After introductory material discussing the process involved in securing program funds from the central university administration, the report examines the educational structure of the program. Three instructional packages are described, which provide a three-quarter set of modules for each target group, incorporating skill development courses, cultural and ethnic classes, and tutorial opportunities. Additionally, a rationale is provided for "sheltering" the program participants from each other and from the University as a whole. Program evaluation criteria employed after the first quarter of operation are then identified, including the collection of demographic information to determine the types of students who profit most from the program, and the examination of traditional measures of academic success, such as grade point average, ratio of credits completed to those attempted, and the retention rate of program students from Fall 1979 to Winter 1980. The report then outlines program costs for Fall 1979, with special emphasis placed on start-up expenses and the cost of developing a special package for non-English-speaking students. (JP)