Many urban and commuter universities have their sights set on students who are unlikely to connect with the college and likely to fail unless the right strategies are put in place to help them graduate. In efforts to improve retention rates, commuter colleges are looking to an unusual suspect: residence halls. The author discusses how these…

Of the 11 Black students of both genders who entered Gallaudet University in 2000, just one graduated by 2006. That 9 percent graduation rate was just one indicator that all was not well at the university. In a fall 2007 survey, Gallaudet's atmosphere was described as "unwelcoming." In the spring of 2008, Gallaudet University started its "Keeping…

The author reports on Ohio's bevy of education initiatives that take aim at helping African-American male students succeed. The Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center for the African American Male at The Ohio State University is one of several initiatives that help African-American men succeed in Ohio. All the programs focus on individual…