Male Engagement Network of
Scholars: A Roadmap to Success
Project
The Institute on High Impact Practices and Student Success June 11-15, 2013
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY
June 15, 2013
Team Members at the AAC&U Institute for High Impact Practices : Johari Barnes, Coordinator of
Academic Outreach and Intervention; Dallas Dolan, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching
and Learning; Derrick Little, Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Mark Williams, Director of Career
Development and Counseling Services
Action Plan Template
Male Engagement Network of Scholars
The Community College of Baltimore County
Roadmap to Success Project
The Institute on High Impact Practices and Student Success June 11-15, 2013
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
BACKGROUND:
1
The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) has been
tracking and documenting student achievement (disaggregated
by gender, race, age, financial aid status, etc.) and noting gaps
in student achievement since 2000. This data demonstrates
significant gaps in achievement among racial and gender groups,
especially between Caucasian and African-American students.
African-American male (AAM) students in particular have
significantly lower achievement on all measures when compared
to Caucasian males, African-American females, and other
groups.
CCBC has already instituted a number of ‘high impact’ practices,
including special sections of the required college-wide academic
development course (ACDV101) for African -American males
(ACDV+), professional development in culturally responsive
teaching (CRT), and accelerated developmental education
courses including Academic Literacy (ACLT), Accelerated
Learning Program (ALP) and Accelerated Math Program (AMP).
CCBC’s participation in Achieving the Dream has helped the
college implement interventions that have had significant impact
on student success, such as a streamlined and accelerated
approach to developmental education . These measures, while
showing good success with students as a whole, are not
significantly impacting the gap between African American male
learners and other groups of learners. As demographics at CCBC
have shifted in the last few years, we have noted an increasingly
more complex set of needs in this group (less academically
prepared, increased levels of poverty, etc.).
The MENS program seeks to link, target and extend some of
CCBC’s existing high-impact practices, continuing and increasing
African American Male classes in ACDV101 (dubbed ACDV+ for
this report), and adding program elements including skill-building
workshops, space for MENS program students to study and
collaborate together, intrusive academic advising each semester,
mentoring by African American teachers and peer mentors,
learning communities of students needing developmental reading
and/or English and service learning projects during the critical
winter and summer semesters to improve student engagement
and retention.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
 Provide a coherent program that directly targets African-American
male students at CCBC (Male Engagement Network of Scholars)
that:
o Increases the number of AAM students served in ACDV101+
cohorts.
o Establishes mentoring relationships between faculty, staff,
peers and AAM’s.
o Provides a pre-college institute that targets the needs of AMM
and includes placement testing preparation, advising,
orientation to college and to the MENS program.
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
We note that many of the interventions directed at improving
student success at CCBC take place at the beginning of the
student’s life at the college. We hypothesize that these
interventions, while improving success among the general
population at CCBC, are not potent enough to push the African
American male group’s success closer to the overall college
norms.
2
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
3
o Increases the number of African American faculty, staff and
advisors who can act as role-models and teachers of ACDV101
to these students.
o Establishes AAM learning communities, especially those
involving students needing the Academic Literacy
developmental course ACLT052 (5 credits) and ACDV101+ (1
credit)
o Creates campus activities that connect and engage AAMs in
intentional purposeful learning activities, including discussion
groups, seminars and service learning opportunities.
o Imbeds and directly teaches CRT concepts of mindset and
social capital in all activities.
o Provides peer support through mentoring and learning
partnerships for AAM students.
o Increases success measures of AAM students at CCBC,
including semester-to-semester and year-to-year retention,
successful completion of developmental sequences, successful
completion of college level courses with a “C” or better and
persistence to degree/transfer.
POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO ACCOMPLISHMENT












Lack of College engagement (lack of understanding for the need)
Lack of Culturally Responsive Teaching training
Low enrollment for ACDV101 AAM cohorts
Inadequate dedicated space for meetings
Lack of time to plan pre- college institute
Testing below the floor (exam prep)
Funding for service learning
Keeping students actively engaged (winter, summer)
Partnering academic coaching and tutoring (PACT program) may end
Transportation/monetary needs getting back in forth for meetings
Adequate staff to support the larger population
Budget/ resources
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUPPORT






MENS program design
Early alert system
Peer, faculty and staff engagement
Referral from peers, faculty and staff
Use of social media
Culturally Responsive Teaching training opportunities











Academic advising being the first point of contact
Pre-testing techniques
Financial coaching
Student success center tutoring
Financial literacy (Financial aid, scholarships)
Funding mentors
Use of Blackboard
Learning communities ACLT052/ACDV101+
Judicial affairs
Intuitional knowledge (various programs)
Partnering academic coaching and tutoring (PACT program)
Executive staff
Enrollment
trendsnumbers
Structural/Procedural
changes
Before/After
- Goal
Information
on the MENS
Program
X
X
X
X
Leadership Academic
Advising
X
Academic
advisors
Department Heads
X
Faculty
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Administrative
Assistant in each
department
X
Coordinator of
Academic
Outreach
X
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR STAKEHOLDERS /
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
4
Student Success
Center
X
X
Coordinators of
Developmental
Education
X
X
Counseling
X
Academic
coaches
X
ACDV Instructors
X
X
Student Life
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
Research and
Planning
5
X
X
X
X
Financial Aid
X
Career Services
X
Students
X
Communication
methods
Meeting
Email / Mail
Social media /
email
Brochure
Meeting / Email
Email / brochure
TEAM ACTIONS AND TIMELINE
Develop action plan for
implementation
Implement plan
Purpose/Details
Design action plan for
program development
When
Summer 2013
Vetting plan for consensus
Fall 2013
Develop college-wide buy-in
and support to proposed
project
Assess viability of plan versus
barriers
Improve retention/success on
minority students (African
American Men)
Fall 2013
Fall 2013-Spring
2014
Fall 2014
RECOMMENDED TIMELINE FOR CAMPUS
WORK
Action
Provide overview of
presentation to college
community
Determine structure of
managing program
Develop communication/
marketing strategy
Develop budget
Determine process for engaging
potential candidates for program
Develop calendar of events
Identify formal space
Identify staffing needs
Train Staff
Who
AAC&U HIPS Team
When
Summer 2013
*Roadmap to Success team
Fall 2013
Roadmap to Success team
Fall 2013
Roadmap to Success team
Roadmap to Success team
Fall 2013
Fall 2013
Roadmap to Success team
Dean McKusick and Dean
Archer
Roadmap to Success team
Varies by training needed
Spring 2014
Spring 2014
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013
Action
Finalize plan for submission to
AACU/presentation to CCBC
constituents
Present plan to larger
community
Incorporate suggestions and
address concerns
6
*CCBC Roadmap to Success Team members: McKusick, Donna; Mince, Rose; Williams,
Mark D.; Archer, Lillian P. Little, Derrick R.; Dolan, Dallas; Delker, Susan R.; Truscello,
David K.; Stone, Precious B. Coleman, Larry ; Bogage, Nancy E., Barnes, Johari.
EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS
Evidence of success for the MENS program will include both quantitative and qualitative
measures, including data on retention, completion of developmental sequence,
retention rates, and course and program completion, as well as focus groups with
MENS program participants and faculty.

Male Engagement Network of Scholars: A Roadmap to Success Project | 6/15/2013

7





Comparison of participants in MENS program with African-American men who
are not in MENS program on measures of retention, successful completion of
developmental sequence, successful completion of college-level courses will
show improved success on all measures when MENS program participants are
compared to similar AAM’s not in MENS program.
Gaps in achievement between AAM and other groups on all measures will begin
to close.
Data obtained from focus groups of AAM’s in MENS will show satisfaction with
the program and support gained in the program.
Focus group data will show that participants in MENS program can articulate the
concepts of mindsets and social capital, and can identify relevant examples from
their own lives.
Number of sections of ACDV+ (for AAM’s) will increase over time
Number of African American male faculty and staff able to teach ACDV+ sections
and provide role-modeling and mentoring for MENS program participants will
increase.
Participation in MENS program will increase over time.