4 student lifecycle moments when sense of belonging matters most for Black and Latino men
December 8, 2022, By Alexa Silverman, Senior Director, Student Experience and Well-Being Research
Black and Latino men graduate from college at the lowest rates of any demographic group. In EAB’s conversations with 50+ university leaders, we learned how uniquely challenging it is for Black and Latino men to find a sense of belonging in college. That’s because on campuses that are predominantly white and majority female, it’s harder for Black and Latino men to find peer groups, mentors, role models, and places where they can just be themselves.
While it’s important to support Black and Latino men throughout the entire student lifecycle, our research team found four moments when that support is especially critical for retention and graduation.
1. The first day on campus
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Lehigh University
partners with Mentor Collective to make sure every student has a peer mentor before they even set foot on campus. As soon as a student submits his enrollment deposit, he is asked to fill out a survey where he can indicate that he’d like a peer mentor who is a Black or Latino man like him. Early mentor matching not only helps reduce summer melt, but it also means each student sees at least one familiar face at orientation.
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The University of Tennessee – Knoxville
The Success Academy for Black and Latino men brings men to campus together, a few days before classes begin, to get to know their peers. But the program also makes sure students don’t lose those day-one connections: for all four years, men in Success Academy come together for workshops, social events, and career development opportunities.
2. Feeling homesick for the first time
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The University of Alabama
Parents and family are often the first people students reach out to for help with these early challenges. So, The University of Alabama helps parents and families support their students. Its family affinity groups offer families a virtual community through a combination of Zoom meetings and discussions on CampusESP and Facebook. Black UA, for families of Black students, has over 700 members who use the community to share support resources and build lasting friendships.
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Virginia Tech
helps Black men find a home away from home by bringing the local barbershop to campus. For many Black men, the barbershop is a safe haven: a cross-generational, all-male space where they go not just for haircuts but also to find community. Virginia Tech’s staff lead campus Barbershop Talks on topics like Black masculinity and mental health that bring in the whole community—students, alumni, staff, and locals too.
3. Realizing you might be in the wrong major
At least 30% of students change their major in college. For help with this tough decision, students often look to their mentors: Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse’s Student Voice survey found that 30% of mentees got help from their mentor in deciding on a major.
For Black and Latino men, finding a college mentor can be easier said than done. Many are looking for a mentor who shares their racial identity (31% of nonwhite students, according to the same Student Voice survey). And on campuses where students of color outnumber faculty of color, those faculty face an additional burden of uncompensated labor as mentors. We found two ways colleges can help:
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The University of Colorado – Boulder
reduces the burden on faculty mentors by rethinking mentorship as a group activity, where faculty meet with students for small-group “fireside chats” that follow a weekly syllabus. Staff at CU Boulder also help match mentees with faculty from similar academic and personal backgrounds.
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The University of Texas – Austin, The University of Windsor, and Marquette University
Many institutions, including The University of Texas – Austin, The University of Windsor, and Marquette University expanded the pool of mentors to include peers. For Black and Latino men, many of whom have negative experiences with authority in their K-12 schools, getting help from a peer can sometimes feel even more comfortable than getting help from a faculty or staff mentor. With the right supports in place—like training and curricula—peer mentors can help students navigate changing a major and other challenges in college.
4. Taking the next step after graduation
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The University of Maryland – College Park
Black Alumni Network’s members knew firsthand how challenging this can be. They started an alumni mentoring program that pairs a Black alumnus with a current Black student for six weeks to learn about the transition from college to career through mock interviews, job shadows, and/or advice about navigating the working world as a young Black graduate. Many of these alumni-student pairs have stayed friends even after the program ended and continued supporting each other.
You too can support your own students through these four critical moments in the student lifecycle. Get started with EAB’s resources on Black and Latino men in college.
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