Power of mentoring African American males in community colleges

Abstract

Community college African American male student enrollment and academic success is diminishing. The authors explore the importance and wisdom of mentoring programs for African American males attending community colleges. The chapter considers issues of student persistence and retention and how they relate to effective community college mentoring programs. Specifically, the authors discuss how community college mentoring programs can counteract inherent obstacles for African American students attending commuter style campuses. A description of how some community colleges successfully engage African American male students in order to achieve Kuh's four attributes of a supportive college environment and to overcome the issues of college departure -- being first-generation college students, lacking academic self-concept, no or minimal institutional engagement with students, and no or minimal student involvement student involvement on campus – is provided. The authors highlight successful community college programs which include the national “Students African American Brotherhood” program, Santa Fe College's “My Brother's Keeper,” the North Carolina Community College System, and Hillsborough Community College's Collegiate 100.

Citation

Ray, K., Marion Carley, S. and Brown, D. (2009), "Power of mentoring African American males in community colleges", Frierson, H.T., Pearson, W. and Wyche, J.H. (Ed.) Black American Males in Higher Education: Diminishing Proportions (Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 6), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 271-297. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3644(2009)0000006018