Poor levels of college enrollment, disengagement, underachievement and low graduation rates rank among the most pressing problems facing black males in the United States. But a study released yesterday by University of Pennsylvania's new Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education emphasized instead the levels of achievement among black male undergraduates, which at times go unnoticed by education experts.
The report was titled "Black Male Student Success in Higher Education" and authored by Dr. Shaun Harper, and it focused on black male trends in applying to college, choosing and paying for colleges, transitioning to college and responding productively to racism.
The study highlights "persons, policies, programs and resources that help black men succeed across a range of college and university contexts," Harper stated in the report.
The University has been the leading public school in black graduation rates for 20 years with an 85 percent graduation rate. Since 2005, the proportion of black students at the University with a GPA of 3.0 or higher has risen to 47 percent, an increase of 16 percent.
Dean of African-American Affairs Maurice Apprey said the University attributes its high African-American graduation rate in part to advising and mentoring, which Harper highlights in his report.
"Those who are interested in black male student success have much to learn from black men who have actually been successful," Harper said in the report. "To increase their educational attainment, the popular one-sided emphasis on failure and low-performing black male undergraduate
Read More
Three years after the Nov. 13 shooting, U.Va. has reshaped safety systems
By Brendon Bordwine | 1 hours agoIn the years since the attack and following external reviews of the incident, the University has reshaped its threat assessment infrastructure, expanded emergency alert systems, reorganized student accountability operations and significantly built out mental health services.
Spanberger asks U.Va. Board of Visitors to delay appointment of new president
By Cecilia Mould and Ford McCracken | 8 hours agoIn the letter, Spanberger urged the Board to hold off on selecting finalists in the search and not to appoint a president until she has filled five current vacancies.
In a changed Honor system, the Honor Committee struggles to generate engagement
By Bertie Azqueta | YesterdayThe Honor Committee’s public meetings have been substantially shorter this semester. This semester the Committee’s meetings have had an average length of 34 minutes compared to 50 minutes in the 2024-25 term and 47 minutes in the 2023-24 term.
