Mendocino College joins first consortium dedicated to advancing success of men of color in community colleges

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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino College has joined the Community College Equity Assessment Lab, or CCEAL, National Consortium on College Men of Color.

Participation in the consortium, or NCCMC, will enhance the college’s commitment to improving the success of historically underrepresented and underserved students, including men of color.

Despite programs designed to enhance outcomes for men of color, in the United States only 17 percent and 15 percent of black and Latino men, respectively, earn a certificate, degree, or transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in six years.

Figures for men from other ethnic groups (e.g., Native American, Southeast Asian) also indicate an insurmountable need for improvement.

To combat this achievement gap, the NCCMC facilitates an exchange of ideas between community colleges across the nation on how best to serve men of color in our educational institutions. Community colleges convene to share their efforts and learn about new strategies for enhancing the success of men of color.

As a NCCMC member, Mendocino College will receive these benefits:

· Access to monthly webinars.
· Participation in information sharing sessions.
· Discounted rate to participate in the annual working group meeting.
· Free access to assessment tools (Male Program Assessment for College Excellence, Community College Student Success Inventory).
· Discounted rate for CCEAL's flagship institutional assessment package (Community College Success Measure, Community College Instructional Development Inventory, and Community College Staff Development Inventory).

Mendocino College‘s engagement in the NCCMC will enhance professional development for faculty and staff, enable informed interventions for our current programs serving men of color, and inspire new initiatives addressing challenges facing these men.

“As our college community works diligently to ensure an equitable and inclusive environment for all of our students, the opportunity to join this consortium could not have presented itself at a better time,” said Mendocino College Superintendent/President Arturo Reyes.

“With student success at the helm of all that we do here at Mendocino College it is important to actively engage in opportunities that allow us to serve our disproportionately impacted groups,” Reyes said. “I am grateful for all that NCCMC has to offer and I look forward to learning more to advance our student population that this consortium will best help serve.”

“This innovative group of college leaders will be instrumental in implementing cutting-edge practices and policies to address the achievement gap facing underrepresented men,” said Dr. J. Luke Wood, co-director of CCEAL.

Launched in February 2015, the CCEAL has already seen much success in information-sharing between community colleges. An average of more than 1,000 consortium members participates in each webinar.

“It is inspiring to see educators collaborate and openly share innovative ideas for serving men of color,” said Frank Harris III, co-director of CCEAL. “We look forward to the future of CCEAL and the future success of men of color.”