AACC Dr. Ray A. Ostos District Director for Student Affairs - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

AACC

• Dr. Ray A. Ostos

District Director for Student Affairs Maricopa County Community College District 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe AZ 85281 email | ray.ostos@domail.maricopa.edu website | www.maricopa.edu

In 2008, the Minority Male Initiative (MMI) was created to improve the retention and degree completion rates of minority male students attending the Maricopa Community Colleges.

• In 2012-13, the MMI program was

redesigned to provide a more structured and outcome-based approach to better support our students.

• Summer Retreat with Advisors and

Students

• The District Office of Student Affairs

collaborated with the ten colleges to establish Male Empowerment Network (MEN) Chapters at each site.

The goals of MEN are to:

• Increase the access,

persistence, graduation, and transfer rates of minority male students

• Connect students

with academic and professional support resources/services

• Create a culture
• f success and

empowerment

• The MEN Chapters are led by

student officers and supported by a staff advisor(s).

• MEN Operating Procedures and

Chapter Guidelines

• MEN Chapter Advisor Council

MEN activities are aligned with the programmatic themes of

• Academic Success
• Empowerment
• Engagement
• Leadership
• Brotherhood

• Chapter meetings
• Summer bridge programs (SMCC/CGCC)
• Connect to campus resources events & workshops

(tutoring, advising, library, career services)

• Study sessions
• Financial aid/scholarship workshops
• Transfer preparation
• MEN on the Yard (Spring/Fall reenrollment campaign)
• Professional clothing closet
• Cohort classes/course pairing
• Community service

Campus Directed MEN Activities

• Annual summer leadership retreat (advisors/officers)
• Annual MEN Conference
• Academic success boot camp (faculty involvement)
• Leadership/etiquette dinners
• Networking events with business professionals
• Graduation and awards celebration
• Induction ceremony
• University visits (transfer resources)
• Dialog Day for Faculty and Staff

District Directed MEN Activities

2015 MEN Induction Ceremony

2015 MEN Induction Ceremony

Annual MEN Conference February 2015

2014 MEN Graduation and Awards Celebration

Men of Color Conference in San Francisco October 2014

Student Voices

“The MEN program gives people a place where they belong. It gave me a sense of belonging with the other students here. This program gives people new friends and confidence.” Founder of U Belong a non-profit organization – “A lot of guys in prison – when they get out – they have nothing. They literally put you in an old hotel room, and lots of the guys think about what they can do to get back in prison. Some don’t have any classes, education, life skills or the know-how to write a resume. I wanted to give back, so I created U-Belong. Kenny Pratt MEN Chapter Member -2014 Graduate Paradise Valley Community College

“I was ashamed of my past and couldn’t talk to many people about it. I started talking to a Maricopa Community Colleges academic and Male Empowerment Network (MEN) advisor, and was able to start letting go of a lot of stuff. I just needed someone who was there to listen. Once I got that out, I felt a lot better.”

Student Voices

Hector Cedillos MEN Chapter Member Scottsdale Community College

Maricopa Community Colleges participated in the national Community College Survey of Men developed and administered by the Minority Male Community College Collaborative. Over 2000 Maricopa male students participated in the survey. A question was added to the survey where Maricopa students could indicate if they were in a MEN Chapter at their college. The researchers pulled data from the MEN students and developed an equivalent control group for comparison.

Impact of MEN

Researchers Summary of MEN Students Specifically, participants in MEN had higher scores than the control group for: faculty validation, staff validation, sense of connectedness, social involvement, faculty student engagement, as well as use of academic advising, counseling services, transfer services, the school library, computer labs, and tutoring services. Based on these data, and the rigorous steps used to create an equivalent control group, the results suggest that MEN is having a moderate to large positive effect

• n male students in the Maricopa District.

Impact of MEN

In 2013 focus groups with MEN students were conducted at each college site. Findings included:

• Male students describe their MEN chapter as a

“brotherhood,” a “united front,” a “supportive group,” a “family.

• Outside of the classroom, MEN is the only

connection to the college for many minority male students.

• Students articulate a sense of pride in themselves

and their leadership abilities.

Impact of MEN

• Students value successful role models.
• Students feel part of their college community when

they are actively involved and have a voice that is heard.

• Chapters are a safe environment for students to

articulate the challenges they experience.

• Students feel that they have a place to go for help.

Impact of MEN

Next steps - Cohort Data

• Fall to Spring
• Fall to Fall
• GPA

Impact of MEN

Next Steps for MEN

• Grow chapters/increase membership
• Further include high school student participation from our

Early College Outreach Programs (ACE, Hoops, Dual Enrollment)

• Collaborate with Institutional Effectiveness to closely track

the progress of our MEN students (Governing Board Metrics)

• Include more faculty members in this important effort
• Development of a formal mentoring process for students
• National Consortium on College Men of Color

For more information contact: Felicia L. Ganther, J.D. Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs felicia.ganther@domail.mariocpa.edu Ray A. Ostos, Ed.D. District Director for Student Affairs ray.ostos@domail.mariocpa.edu www.maricopa.edu/studentaffairs/minoritymales