Connecting Differences Increasing the Preparation, Engagement and Success of Minority Students Tiffin University FACULTY

1. Connecting Differences Increasing the Preparation, Engagement and Success of Minority Students Tiffin University FACULTY WORKSHIOP Tuesday, August 24, 2010

2. Native of Mississippi (MLK, Till) Past, Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Morehouse College Past Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, North Carolina Central University Past Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, North Carolina Wesleyan College Past Vice President for Student Life, University of Toledo Past, Special Assistant to the President, University of Toledo Founder-CEO, Student African American Brotherhood National Headquarters Aspirations to be a College President/Chancellor Social Innovator Ashoka Fellow (Ashoka.org) Nominee for the Howard W. McGraw, Jr. Prize ABOUT ME

3. GOALS OF THIS SESSION • Increase your awareness about “Diversity” • Increase your awareness about the research and myths around “Minority Students” with emphasis on Black males. • Share some pedagogical strategies related to teaching racially diverse classrooms • Do one quick and fun personal assessment exercise • Wrap-up

4. The “New Normal” for Higher Education “A state of new normality…. Accepting the present as the “Norm”

5. The “New Normal” for Higher Education The most successful institutions will not be those that ride out the economic downturn by returning to the status quo given the financial consequences… (Madeleine Ambrosio, VP and Executive Director of the TIAA_CREF Institute).

6. The New Normal… {My assertions} • The summer will be just as important as the rest of the year… the traditional four-year college program may become three years… • Community colleges will play a larger role as it is the fastest growing sector in higher Ed… • Using social media to reach students including Facebook and Twitter is becoming an expectation • Online education will continue to play an indispensable role in increasing access to higher education and introducing efficiencies. • Finding the right balance between using the internet to save money and preserving the personal touch will be the real challenge… • Serving the underserved and creating a “culture of success for students”…especially [minority who are becoming the majority] students in the classroom.

7. The 21st-century student is older, more likely to be a minority, comes from a low-income home, has basic academic deficiencies from high school, is more likely to be enrolled in a community college and is a first-generation student. “We have this 19th-century mindset when these folks are already there,” Jamie Merisotis President-CEO Lumina Foundation for Education

8. …and educators at all levels must embrace this change and update our teaching practices to bridge these students from where they are to where they need to be!Mike Love Teacher Mt. Miguel High School (San Diego, CA)

9. There is nothing more disturbing than to see our students being mis-educated, under-educated, dropping out and pushed out of school… Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe January 2006 College of DuPage

10. BEFORE THE 1960’S Blacks developed their own folk theory that the American system simply worked differently for blacks and whites. For blacks, being educated or "acting white" would still not allow them to advance as far as whites. Ogbu, J. U. (1994).

11. BEFORE THE 1960’S Becoming successful for black Americans generally meant becoming "white." Successful blacks were expected to talk and dress in ways that conform to white American norms. In other words, being successful meant discarding distinctive black cultural heritage. Ogbu, J. U. (1994).

12. URBAN MYTH ABOUT MINORITY PEOPLE The myth speaks to the notion that minority people don’t like education and that specifically Black people think being educated is acting white and somewhere deeply inherit in their culture is a lack of value for education.

13. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • More people of color and women will be in the workforce • It was predicted that by 2010 • African Americans will accounts for 14% of the total workforce • Hispanics/Latinos will account for 12% of the total workforce • Asians will account for 5% of the total workforce

14. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes (The Urban Institute, 2006) • Age of workers is rising • Today, the median age is 40.5 • By the year 2019, the 55 and older age group will represent a greater population of the workforce than any other time in the history of the US.

15. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes (The Urban Institute, 2006) • Almost half of the U.S. population will be non-white • By the year 2050, 47% of the total population will be composed of Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans and other non-white groups

16. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • In 1992, the annual value of the Gay and Lesbian market was $514 billion • Gay household income is $52,624 (41% above national average) • Lesbian household income is $42,755 (26% above national average)

17. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • Women have strong purchasing power (1995) • 37% of all U.S. automotive market customers are female • 47% of all U.S. automotive market customers under 50 are female. Thus, women’s share of the market will likely increase in the future

18. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • Facts about U.S. Working Women • 54 million women are working • Women are 45% of the labor force • 7 of 10 women in the age group 25-54 are in the labor force • 65% of mothers with children under the age of 18 work • Most employed women work full time, all year long • Women earn 70% of men’s average weekly earnings • Women are concentrated in fewer occupational groups • Women work for economic reasons

19. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • If we were a village of 1,000 people • 300 would be Christians • 175 would be Moslems • 128 would be Hindus • 55 would be Buddhists • 47 would be Animists • 4 would be Jews • 81 would be other religions • 210 would be atheist or have no religion

20. U.S. Workforce Demographic Changes(The Urban Institute, 2006) • If we were a village of 1,000 people • 592 Asians • 138 African Descent • 130 Europeans • 84 Latin Americans • 46 US Americans • 5 Canadians • 5 Pacific Region

21. STEREOTYPESEXERCISE“We live in a world of stereotypes”

22. Diversity is Valuing Differences RACE GENDER LANGUAGE STYLE SKILLS TALENTS BACKGROUND EXPERIENCES MENTAL ABILITIES AGE NATIONALITY CUSTOMS SEXUAL ORIENTATION FAMILY EDUCATION HEALTH CLASS CULTURE

23. Culture↓↓Values ↓↓Beliefs↓↓BehaviorsThe more you understand the influence of your culture the more effective communication can be

24. Culture is the way of life of a given society== passed down from one generation to the next through learning and experience

25. TEACHING IN RACIALLY DIVERSE COLLEGE CLASSROOMS • Often leaves faculty feeling uncertain about how to proceed and how to behave. • Pressures faculty to acknowledge and accept students with perspectives other than their own. • Challenges faculty to diversify their syllabi • Challenges faculty to be more aware of classroom dynamics • Challenges faculty to pay more attention to how students are experiencing the learning process • (Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, • Harvard University)

26. Tip Sheet for Faculty Teaching Diverse College Classrooms • Plan the course with a diverse classroom in mind. • By considering syllabi, course assignments, examples & stories • Find ways to make the actual classroom open and safe for all students • Learn how to intervene tactfully and effectively in racially charged classroom situations and to manage tense moments or hot topics. • Assess conscious and unconscious biases about people of cultures other than one’s own. • How do one’s own experiences, values, beliefs, and stereotypes influence one’s knowledge and understanding of groups that are racially different from one’s own? • Do I expect students of color to need extra help? • (Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, • Harvard University)

27. OVERALL, WE WANT TO ALLEVIATE CULTURAL DISCONTINUITY THROUGH PRESCRIPTIVE PEDAGOGY BY DEVELOPING CULTURALLY RELEVANT CURRICULUMS

28. MEN OF COLOR ARE FALLING BEHIND

29. BLACK MEN FALL BEHIND(USA TODAY, 2-17-05) • High School Completion • During the past decade the graduation rate for AA males slipped. African Americanfemales graduated 56% from high school compared to 41% AAmales. • College Enrollment • Twice as many Black women as Black men now attend college • College Degrees • AA males degree completion only increased by 3% from 2001-2004 • What’s Happening? • Inappropriate role models • Broken Homes • Bad school experiences • Low economic-related factors (African American Boys: The Cries of a Crisis by E. Bernard Franklin)

30. BLACK BOYS FALL BEHIND • African American boys are falling behind in almost every measure compared to other ethnic groups. • African American and Latino males are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability and twice as likely to be place in special education classes. • Of AA boys who enter special education, only 10% return to the mainstream classroom and only 27% graduate (ACE). • The number of African American boys who said they hated school rose 71% between 1980 and 2001. (African American Boys: The Cries of a Crisis by E. Bernard Franklin)

31. BLACK BOYS FALL BEHIND • The data are clear. • Reports from the American Council on Education and the Schott Foundation show that AA boys spend more time in special education, spend less time in advanced placement or college prep courses and receive more disciplinary suspensions and expulsions than any other group in U.S. schools today. • Black boys represent the worst-case scenario for a group coming out of public education. (African American Boys: The Cries of a Crisis by E. Bernard Franklin)

32. What makes the plight of AA boys so disturbing is that it appears as if few are concerned. The traditional social development institutions are failing them. Their family of origin, their schools, their churches, the youth-serving social services, social workers---all are failing to reach this group of hardened boys.(African American Boys: The Cries of a Crisis by E. Bernard Franklin)

33. Black Boys often do not feel cared for in their school or their communities. The perceived lack of caring is most devastating for AA boys. Dr. Melissa Roderick University of Chicago

34. Many studies show the single most important thing in turning lives around is the ongoing presence of a caring adult. Dr. Nell Noddings Stanford University

35. Cedar Valley College

36. SAAB’S MISSION • Promote the value of education and success • Men of Power, Prominence and Progress • Develop and maintain “Minority Male” leadership, discipline and accountability. • Create strategies and tools for renewal, revival and resurrection for a population often written off as “LOST”. • Graduate our participants • Create “Merchants of Hope” • Create a “Spirit to Care”

37. S.A.A.B.PRIMARYOBJECTIVE To enhance the experiences of minority males in colleges and universities around the country---and ensure they GRADUATEalong with enhancing the college aspirations of younger AA males (K-12)

38. PERSONALITY TESTComplete the 10 items on handout provided and be sure to follow the instructions especially when adding the values of your responses….

39. Scoring Overview • Over 60 points: • Others see you as someone they should handle with care. You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be like you, but don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you. • 51 to 60 points: • Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader; who’s quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate. • 41 to 50 points: • Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who’s constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who’ll always cheer them up and help them out.

40. Scoring Overview • 31 to 40 points: • Others see you as sensible, cautious & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who’s extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken. • 21 to 30 points: • Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It’d really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to mine everything carefully from ever angle and then, usually decide against it. • Under 21 points: • People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decision & who doesn’t want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think you’re boring. Only those who know you well –know that you aren’t…

41. GREATEST VALUES IN LIFE • The greatest handicap------------ Fear • The best day-------------------- Today • Hardest thing to do---------------To Begin • Easiest thing to do----------------Find Fault • Most useless asset----------------Pride • Most useful asset-----------------Humility • The greatest mistake--------------Giving Up • The greatest stumbling block-------Egotism • The greatest comfort--------------Work Well Done • Worst Bankruptcy-----------------Loss Of Enthusiasm • Greatest Need------------------- Common Sense • Meanest Feeling------------------Regret of Another’s Success • Best gift-------------------------Forgiveness • Greatest Success------------------Self-fulfillment/Peace of Mind

42. Disclaimer: • The presentation may be used for Tiffin University’s "Diversity web site" only. • The presentation cannot be used for presentation purposes once it has been posted on the site. • Dr. T. Bledsoe