Milwaukee Area Technical College has joined the Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3) National Consortium on College Men of Color. Participation in the M2C3 Consortium will enhance the college’s commitment to improving the success of historically underrepresented and underserved students, including men of color. Despite programs designed to enhance outcomes for men of color, in the United States only 17% and 15% of Black and Latino men, respectively, earn a certificate, degree, or transfer from a two-college to a four-year institution in six years. Figures for men from other ethnic groups (e.g., Native American, Southeast Asian) also indicate an insurmountable need for improvement.
To combat this achievement gap, the M2C3 Consortium facilitates an exchange of ideas between community colleges across the nation on how best to serve men of color in our educational institutions. Community colleges convene to share their efforts and learn about new strategies for enhancing the success of men of color.
As an M2C3 member, MATC will utilize:
- Access to M2C3 webinars on men on color
- Access to the M2C3 virtual discussion board
- Participation in information-sharing on promising practices with other community college
- Participation in an annual working group meeting hosted in San Diego
“Participation in the national consortium will support the college’s own Men of Color initiative, which was developed to help men from minority groups increase success in college and in many aspects of their lives,” said MATC President Dr. Vicki J. Martin. “I look forward to collaborating with representatives from other two-year institutions and identify other successful measures that can be implemented at MATC and impacting the lives of our students.”
MATC’s Men of Color initiative’s goals are to increase completion and retention rates through a variety of strategies, including improved transition from Pre-College to postsecondary programs, case and cohort management, tutoring, mentoring, targeted student input, role modeling and increasing awareness about health and wellness for men. MATC is the most diverse and the largest majority-minority college in Wisconsin, with more than 9,000 men of color enrolled, it is in a unique position to have a substantial impact on some of these challenges.
MATC’s engagement in M2C3 will enhance professional development for faculty and staff, enable informed interventions for our current programs serving men of color, and inspire new initiatives addressing challenges facing these men.
“This innovative group of college leaders will be instrumental in implementing cutting-edge practices and policies to address the achievement gap facing underrepresented men,” said Dr. J. Luke Wood, co-director of M2C3.
Launched in February 2015, the M2C3 has already seen much success in information-sharing between community colleges. An average of more than 1,000 consortium members participates in each webinar.
“It is inspiring to see educators collaborate and openly share innovative ideas for serving men of color,” said Frank Harris III, co-director of M2C3. “We look forward to the future of M2C3 and the future success of men of color.”