Warren Kelley
At the University of Maryland, College Park, two men are working to extend the same level of attention to ensure the school’s African-American students thrive on campus.
Tony Randall
Warren Kelley, an assistant vice president for student affairs, and Tony Randall, senior manager of the Student Success Initiative, have devoted themselves to raising the graduation rates for Black students — particularly males — at the state’s flagship university. The pair takes a personal approach to ensure the students’ success, inserting themselves as liaisons between department deans, financial aid officials and other administrators to help students navigate various processes that can often become distractions from the work or hindrances to graduation.
“The thing about Tony and Warren is they’re collaborators,” said Dr. Lisa Kiely, the school’s assistant dean for undergraduate studies.
Randall, a graduate of Morehouse College, says they work very hard to create an environment very similar to what a student would find at a historically Black college or university, one that is nurturing and one in which the staff take a personal interest in student success.
Some of their tactics include reaching out to students who haven’t yet registered for the upcoming semester and those who have outstanding balances or “hovering” GPAs (those at risk of facing academic probation or suspension). Randall visits meetings held by campus organizations to introduce himself and let students know his door is open to anyone who needs help.
Andrew Mulinge graduated last May and said Kelley and Randall were instrumental in helping him walk across the stage. When his family started experiencing serious financial troubles during his junior year, Mulinge said he began “actually thinking about dropping out and getting a job.”
