African American Male Retention
Bill Hall, the Vice President for Student Affairs, included in his priorities for the 2001-2002 academic year to create and implement strategies to increase retention of students with a six-year graduation rate below 40 percent, with particular emphasis on African-American males. The Office of Student Affairs Assessment was charged with the initiative to gather and analyze existing data on the African-American male experience at OSU. As an outgrowth of the Student Affairs Assessment offices review of the existing data and follow-up recommendations and in response to the committees call to action, select staff of CCS began strategic planning in January 2003 toward the implementation of programmatic efforts to positively impact the experience, retention and graduation of African American Males at The Ohio State University. During the Winter and Spring quarters members met as a subcommittee of the Human Awareness Collective. In Summer 2003 the senior staff of CCS elected to make this a standing committee.
CCS - African American Male Experience Initiative
Goals: 2002-2003
Members: Dennis Alexander, Chair; Tonya Adams, Angela White, Derrick Tovar-Murray, Tawanda Greer, Michael Till, Curt Haywood
- Identify members and began a support group to address topics relevant to African Am. Men.
- Develop walk-in Hours at the Hale Cultural Center to further identify potential concerns of African Am. Men
- Develop collaborations with other offices and units on campus who are attempting to address population specific issues.
- Long-term strategic planning
Goals: 2003-2004
- Explore the feasibility of expanding the focus of the committee to include the Experiences of Hispanic/Latino Men at O.S.U.
- Continue with the identification of a possible research initiative to further explore areas missed by initial Student Affairs Assessment Study.
- Identify academic related support services to address student needs, specifically as related to their self-reported need for remedial work.
- Continued development of collaborations with other under represented male student groups from various ethnic diversities.
- Continued collaborations with residence hall staff to identify areas for improvement in living environments.
Programs and Accomplishment Highlights: 2003-2004
Members: Dennis Alexander, Chair; Tonya Adams, Ernesto Escoto, Curt Haywood, Joy Stephens, Dionne Smith, Luis Crus-Ortega, Jim Hodnett, Karen Taylor, Angela White
FALL
- New committee member review of Initiative and focus group project
- Participation at the African American Male Freshman Retreat sponsored by OMA.
- Participation by 8 staff and 2 practicum students at The Black Male Development Tour and Symposium
- Participation at Leadership is a Part of Success: The Challenges Black Men Face, sponsored by Hale Black Cultural Center
- Sponsored walk-in urgent consultation hour at Hale Black Cultural Center, 4 staff participated
WINTER
- Participation at The African American Male Retreat: A Road Map to Success sponsored by MCC.
- Invited guests (Kathy Hill, SA Assessment, Larry Williamson, and staff Hale Black Cultural Center, Normando Caban, OMA Recruitment, Victor Mora, First Year Experience, Dr. Angela White, Dissertation Research presentation)
SPRING
- Participation in the National Black Counseling Psychologist Conference held at Howard University.
- Participation in the African American Recruitment Advisory Committee in OMA
- First Year Experience Presentation - Men of Color a Guide to Success, by interns Stephens, Smith
- Panel member, Black Men on Trial, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha
- Video Documentary – What Delinquents See, interview participant, Dr. Michael Till
SUMMER
- 4 committee members working on draft of Student Success Guide for African American men
- Radio panel participant, 1580 WVKO, Combating Violence Among Black Youth,
Goals: 2004-2005
- Develop and disseminate a Student Success Guide targeted toward African American men that identifies and supports effective academic and personal effectiveness strategies and promotes leadership development and involvement in the campus and surrounding community.
- Further identify and develop collaborative programming with other university offices and student organizations to identify issues affecting the timely and successful matriculation through school of African American men. (eg. First Year Experience Series, Frank Hale Black Cultural Center, OMA, Multicultural Center, OSU Fraternities and Sororities, Student Residence Hall organizations).
- Solicit from the Registrar and Student Affairs Assessment offices parallel data to the African American Male Experience Initiative Study for Hispanic and Latino men at OSU.
- Find financial support from the university administration or corporate sponsors for the completion of the Hispanic/Latino video project initiated by Dr.’s Escoto and Berrios.
- Promote the movement of the focus of the committee from African American men to Hispanic and Latino men and further identify a committee name and structure that allows the programmatic shift as initiatives are identified either internal or external to CCS.
Programs and Accomplishment Highlights: 2004-2005
Members: Dennis Alexander, Chair; Tonya Adams, Ernesto Escoto, Mike Folmar, Sherrie Haggins, Curt Haywood, Jim Hodnett, Saul Rivera, Karen Taylor, Angela White
FALL
- New committee members review of Initiative and focus group project
- Participation in African American Male Initiative meetings sponsored by OMA.
- Co-sponsor William Parham Olympic Lessons for Buckeyes, and Graduating African American Males on Predominantly White Campuses
- Invited guests (Todd Suddeth, Program Coordinator, Mentoring-OMA)
- Assist with research of Dr. Tawanda Greer on the development of a measure of mental health for African Americans
WINTER
- Panel participation "Unspeakable Things Spoken: An Open Dialogue on Sex, Black Students, & Survival at OSU"
- Participation in presentation of OSU AAMI Committee results to Mac Stewart, Vice Provost-OMA, and Rich Hollingsworth, Student Affairs
- Invited guests (Yolanda Zepeda, Graduate Education and Diversity-CIC, Jose S. Villa, Assistant Vice Provost-OMA)
- Participation at OMA scholars convocation
SPRING
- Invited guests (Eric Troy, African American Male Resource Center , Barbara Wharton, S.A. Assessment - Summary Reports)
- Participation in the African American Recruitment Advisory Committee in OMA
- One of the Co-Sponsor for conference Raising the African American Male Potential, RAAP
- Panel member, Black Men on Trial, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha
- Review and plan for Latino Research focus for 2005-06
SUMMER
- 3 committee members continued working on final draft of Student Success Guide for Af. Am. Males
- Planning committee and panel participant, What It Means to be a Black Man at a White University (for Fall 2005)
- Consultant – development of Black Male Mentoring Program, OMA
- Participation in Young Scholars 2005 Summer Impact Week
Goals: 2005-2006
- Finalize and disseminate a Student Success Guide targeted toward African American men that identifies and supports effective academic and personal effectiveness strategies and promotes leadership development and involvement in the campus and surrounding community.
- Further identify and develop collaborative programming with other university offices and student organizations to identify issues affecting the timely and successful matriculation through school of Latino and African American men. (eg. First Year Experience Series, Frank Hale Black Cultural Center, OMA, Multicultural Center, OSU Fraternities and Sororities, Student Residence Hall organizations).
- Solicit from the Registrar and Student Affairs Assessment offices parallel data to the African American Male Experience Initiative Study for Hispanic and Latino men at OSU.
- Find financial support from the university administration or corporate sponsors for the completion of the Hispanic/Latino video project initiated by Dr.’s Escoto and Berrios.
- Further promote the movement of the focus of the committee from African American men to Hispanic and Latino men in 2005-06.
- Clarify with committee members a name change for the committee that reflects our focus.