ERIC Number: ED537367
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Nov
Pages: 18
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Men of Color: A Role for Policymakers in Improving the Status of Black Male Students in U.S. Higher Education
Harper, Shaun R.; Harris, Frank, III
Institute for Higher Education Policy
Across all levels of education, young men's comparatively lower levels of educational achievement and attainment, as well as problematic behavioral trends (e.g., sexual assault, binge drinking, property destruction, suicides, campus shootings), have garnered attention from journalists, educators, school administrators, parents, and others. Conversations have included male undergraduates from a range of racial backgrounds. However, disproportionate emphasis has been placed on Black undergraduate men, a population that is repeatedly characterized as one of the most underrepresented, stereotyped, disengaged, and lowest performing students on college and university campuses. Despite the attention that has been devoted to their current condition in U.S. higher education, only recently have Black men emerged as a serious focus among federal and state policymakers. This report argues that they should be a center of attention. The purpose of this report is threefold: (1) To provide a summary of policy--relevant trends and issues concerning Black male college students; (2) To offer a snapshot of current initiatives that aim to address the problematic condition of college success for Black undergraduate men; and (3) To propose a role for policymakers at all levels--institutional, federal, and state--as well as other relevant groups such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and influential organizations such as foundations, community-based organizations, and higher education associations in improving Black men's educational outcomes and postsecondary degree attainment rates. (Contains 4 tables, 3 figures, and 37 footnotes.) [This publication was produced with the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania and the Institute for Higher Education Policy's Pathways to College Network.]
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Higher Education, Outcomes of Education, Drinking, Males, Campuses, Sexual Abuse, Educational Objectives, African American Students, Role, Policy Formation, Educational Policy, Achievement Gap, Educational Attainment, Behavior Problems, Crime, Suicide, Violence, Undergraduate Students, Disproportionate Representation, Educational Trends, Trend Analysis, Organizations (Groups), Graduation Rate, College Athletics, Community Organizations
Institute for Higher Education Policy. 1825 K Street Suite 720, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-861-8223; Fax: 202-861-9307; e-mail: institute@ihep.org; Web site: http://www.ihep.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Institute for Higher Education Policy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A