A Call to Action: How one Community College Addresses Disparities in Higher Education

In the Fall 2012 Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) newsletter, Dr. Baber and I contributed to an important conversation around educational equity in the community college system (see newsletter here). Current scholarship around students in the community college system, addresses the educational disparities facing African American and Latino males. Part of the conversation, and scholarship, which I address in the newsletter highlighted above, is the importance of structural (institutional) change that promotes the retention and support of students.

The Community College of Denver has answered the call. Diverse Issues in Higher Education featured the Urban Male Initiative (UMI) at the Community College of Denver. It was found that at the Community College of Denver, African American and Latino males made up under 10 percent of the student population yet accounted for  63 and 52 percent of the students in developmental courses, respectively. Dr. Ryan Ross, Dean of Student Development has taken a proactive stance, focusing on the needs of the students as well as the institutional barriers that inhibit success. 

Adopting the proverb, it takes a village, Dr. Ross strongly believes “Where are we (educators)? Are we only in the village from 9 to 5? And only in the village from 9 to 5 if they come see us on campus? We’ve got to get out in the village and see our students where they are to get them to where they need to be.” As a result of the UMI program which has grown from 15 to 135 young men, the collective G.P.A of group has increased from 1.8 to 2.4.

You can read the article Urban Male Initiative: Seeing Students Where They are To Get Them To Where They Need To Be here.