Maricopa Community Colleges

Background:

National research indicates that Minority Males are not attending and/or graduating from college at the same rate as their female or Caucasian male counterparts. A multitude of colleges and universities around the country have developed programs and initiatives to increase opportunities for access and success of this critical population. Maricopa Community College District is no exception.

For the past few years, the colleges have developed leadership groups and activities specifically for minority males such as GateWay’s Minority Male Leadership Group and Estrella Mountain’s Minority Male Forums.

The keynote speaker for the 2007 Student Success Conference was Dr. Shaun Harper from University of Pennsylvania and noted researcher and author on academic achievement for Black males.

In 2008, Dr. Harper-Marinick, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs brought together faculty, administration, and staff to form
The Maricopa Minority Male Initiative Task Force.

The Task Force has been charged with designing, supporting and recommending initiatives to increase access, promote retention and increase degree completion rates for minority male students. The task force is developing a strategic multi-faceted approach that encourages academic achievement; promotes personal and professional development; and provides support for students to enroll and stay in college and graduate, and achieve their goals.
The primary goals of the Minority Male Mentoring Initiative are:

1. To increase the access and persistence rate of minority males.
2. To proactively connect minority males with academic and other support resources during their first semester in Maricopa colleges.
3. To enhance the college environments to create a culture of success where minority males can develop a sense of belonging and a connection to faculty, staff and other students.

The Plan:

The Maricopa Minority Male Task Force began meeting in the summer of 2008 and continues to meet on a monthly basis. Based on discussions in early meetings, it was decided that the work of the group would be done in phases with a focus on planning for sustainability.