TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Achieving the Dream
© 2010 Tulsa Community College Data Team
AtD is a national, multi-year effort
to help community college
students succeed.
 This effort focuses on student
groups that face significant
barriers to success, including
students of color and low-income
students.

TCC is working to increase the percentage
of students who accomplish these five
goals:
1. Successfully complete the courses students
take;
2. Advance from remedial to credit-bearing
courses;
3. Enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper
courses;
4. Enroll from one semester to the next;
5. Earn degrees and/or certificates.
1: What’s wrong?
• Identify areas of weakness using
quantitative data provided by Planning
and Institutional Research.
2: Why is the problem happening?
• Conduct focus groups to identify the
barriers/challenges faculty, staff, and
students encounter.
3: Design & Implement Interventions
• Develop interventions based on the
evidence.
4: Assess the Impact of the Interventions
• Did the intervention work?
• How should the intervention be changed
for greater success?
Quantitative data were analyzed for
the fall 2008 cohort:
 First-time African American male
freshmen
 109 African American male students

College Readiness

Persistence Rate

Graduation Rate
100%
83%
80%
71%
60%
56%
AA Male FirstTime Freshmen
43%
40%
20%
33%
All First-Time
Freshmen
23%
0%
College-level math
College-level reading
From TCC Quick Facts
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
74%
60%
50%
36%
Fall to Spring
Retention
AA Male First-time
Freshmen
All First-time
Freshmen
Fall to Fall
Retention
From TCC Quick Facts
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
AA Male Firsttime Freshmen
50%
36%
40%
30%
20%
All First-time
Freshmen
16%
10%
0%
Graduation within 3 Years
From TCC Quick Facts



The AtD Data Team investigated why many
African American male students have
difficulty at TCC.
The 2009 summer and fall student focus
groups revealed the challenges and barriers
AA male students face while enrolled at TCC.
The 2010 spring faculty & staff focus groups
revealed the challenges and barriers that
faculty and staff encounter with AA male
students.


Eight focus groups with 56 participants
Faculty & Staff participants were asked,
“What barriers or challenges have you faced
in helping African American Male students in
being successful at TCC?”
146 barriers for African American
male students were identified.
(76 barriers)
(42 barriers)
AA Male
Experience
Managing
College
Life and
Goals
Sub-Types of Managing College Life and Goals
Number of
Barriers
Lack of Participation in Class (attendance, verbal,
drop/stop out) (Student barrier)
13
Attitudes / Values / Motivation (Student barrier)
10
Not Academically Prepared (Student barrier)
10
Technology Issues (Student barrier)
10
Balancing School, Work & Life (Student barrier)
7
Academic Goals and Career Path
Unfocused/Disconnected (Student barrier)
6
Lack of Skills in Navigating College (Student barrier)
5
Sub-Types of Managing College Life and Goals
Number of
Barriers
Lack of Study Habits/Skills (Student barrier)
4
Developmental Course Issues (Student barrier)
3
Financial Needs (Student barrier)
3
Transitioning to College (Student barrier)
2
Transportation (Student barrier)
2
Disabilities (Student barrier)
1
Total Barriers
76
…TCC’s Blue
Pass
…Adjunct
faculty
workshops
Managing
College
Life
…Strategies
class
…Tulsa
Achieves
…Blackboard
These are common examples from the African American Male Student: Faculty and Staff
Focus Group Data – Spring 2010
• Help students make connections early
Managing • Promote AA social groups on campus
College
• Provide staff development to teach
Life and
faculty how to engage students in
class
Goals
• Provide AAM mentors
(76 barriers)
(42 barriers)
AA Male
Experience
Managing
College
Life and
Goals
Number of
Barriers
Barrier Subtype
Lack of Community, Family, Peer Support (Student Barrier)
AA Males Not Asking for Help (Student Barrier)
Lack of AA Male Faculty and Staff (Student Barrier)
11
6
6
Lack of AA Male Students (Student Barrier)
6
Communication/Interaction Issues (e.g., code switching)-- (Student
Barrier)
Female to AA Male Student Communication (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
5
Lack of Participation Outside Class (Student Barrier)
2
Lack of Trust Between Faculty/Staff and Students (Student Barrier)
2
Lower Expectations of AA Males (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Value of Networking with Other Races or Genders (Student Barrier)
1
1
Total Items
2
42
African
American
Student
Association
Recruiting
in middle
school and
high school
Programs
that include
parents
Outreach
programs that
address the
environment
of negative
influence
These are common examples from the African American Male Student: Faculty and Staff
Focus Group Data – Spring 2010
African
American
Male
Experience
• Need outreach where students
experience negative influences
• Need mentors and tutors in the
community
• Provide parent and student
orientations
• Provide more AAM role models on
the faculty and staff
(76 barriers)
(42 barriers)
AA Male
Experience
Managing
College
Life and
Goals
Barrier Subtype
Lack of Understanding AA Male Barriers (culture, behavior)-(Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Difficulty of Race Discussion with AA Male Students
(Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Difficulty with Conveying all Financial Resources (Faculty/Staff
Barrier)
Don't See Retention as their Responsibility (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Faculty Feeling Inadequate to Deal with War Veterans
(Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Not Knowing How to Help Students Get Textbooks (Faculty/Staff
Barrier)
Unable to Assess Student Course Needs (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Total
Number of
Barriers
13
2
1
1
1
1
1
20
Workshops
on student
retention
Day of Vision
Faculty
collaboration
Faculty
and Staff
Not
Equipped
NAACP
partnerships
with middle
schools
Connecting
with a
mentor
These are common examples from the African American Male Student: Faculty and Staff
Focus Group Data – Spring 2010
Faculty
and Staff
Not
Equipped
• Training in student retention that helps faculty
and staff to become culturally competent
• Research about African American male student
experience to enable us to understand
• Recruit students in middle school
• Diversity training; require cultural awareness
(76 barriers)
(42 barriers)
AA Male
Experience
Managing
College
Life and
Goals
Number of
Barriers
Barrier Subtype
Limited One-on-One Time with Students (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
Lack of College Resources (College Barrier)
2
1
No Sports Programs (College Barrier)
1
Difficulty with Attracting AA Males to College (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
1
Lack of Interacting with Male Students (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
1
Poor Student Service (Faculty/Staff Barrier)
1
Improper Placement (Student Barrier)
1
Total Items
8
Tulsa Achieves
These are common examples from the African American Male Student:
Faculty and Staff Focus Group Data – Spring 2010
• Open college services at least one
night per week
Institutional
• Bring in a motivational speaker
• Help students see TCC is affordable
• Provide a preparatory class, selfpaced software and workshops for
the placement test
Barrier Sub-Types
with Highest Frequencies

Lack of Understanding AA Male Barriers (culture, behavior)
(Faculty/Staff barrier)
13 Barrier Items (9%)

Lack of Participation in Class (attendance, verbal, drop/stop out)
(Student barrier)
13 Barrier Items (9%)




Lack of Community, Family, Peer Support (Student barrier)
11 Barrier Items (8%)
Attitudes / Values / Motivation (Student barrier)
10 Barrier Items (7%)
Not Academically Prepared (Student barrier)
10 Barrier Items (7%)
Technology Issues (Student barrier)
10 Barrier Items (7%)
Students Provided 110 Barrier Items
Managing College Life and Goals:
 69 Barrier Items (63% of Total)
African American Male Experience:
 24 Barrier Items (22% of Total)
Institutional:
 17 Barrier Items (15% of Total)
Faculty and Staff Provided 146 Barrier Items
Managing College Life and Goals:
 76 Barrier Items (52% of Total)
African American Male Experience:
 42 Barrier Items (29% of Total)
Faculty and Staff Not Equipped to Promote
the Retention of African American Male
Students:
 20 Barrier Items (14% of Total)
Institutional:
 8 Barrier Items (5% of Total)

Report--African American Male Student Focus Group Report
and African American Male Student: Faculty and Staff Focus
Group Report

PowerPoint--African American Male Students: Overcoming
Barriers to Success at TCC and African American Male
Students: Faculty and Staff Barriers in helping African
American Males Succeed

Quick Facts--AtD African American Male Student Quick Facts

Focus Group Matrix--African American Male First-Time
Freshman: Focus Groups, COMBINED Summer and Fall,
2009 and Focus Group Matrix—African American Males
Student: Faculty and Staff focus groups Spring 2010
Please take a moment to reflect on what you’ve
heard and complete your card.
What do you make of the results you’ve heard,
and what do you think we should do about it?
Thank you!