Outreach efforts at The Ohio State University result in the increased retention of Black male students.
After he received a letter of acceptance from The Ohio State University, Dominic Saintfort looked forward to tackling a triple major in philosophy, classical studies and political science. And before Saintfort even stepped foot on campus, officials at the university’s Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male alerted him to various student programs and workshops.
A study conducted in 2003 indicated that Black male students at OSU felt isolated, marginalized and unwelcomed at times. However, the Bell Center, founded in honor of OSU graduate and NFL player Todd Anthony Bell, who passed away in 2005, is at the forefront of advising Black male students like Saintfort and guiding them on the path to academic excellence.
“Being at a predominately White university, you often feel alone,” says Saintfort, 20, who is an honors student. “But the programs at the center help to build a comfort level, which has really helped enrich my academic experience at OSU.”
Since the center’s establishment, school officials say that Black male student retention at OSU has steadily increased. The latest available data show that from 2005 to 2006, the first-year retention rate for Black men increased by 4.3 percent. Officials credit the center’s professional and personal development programs, tutoring workshops and mentoring initiatives for its success in keeping Black male students involved on campus and in the community. Although the center is based at OSU, its mission is to examine and address the various societal issues that impact the quality of life of Black men.
Dr. James L. Moore, director of the center and one of the nation’s leading experts on Black males in education, says more programs that target Black male students are needed across the country to ensure a healthier society and to restore a broken education system.
“African-American males represent a state of emergency … whether you’re talking about health, education or the criminal justice system,” says Moore. “At the Bell Center, we have expanded our mission beyond just education, and I look at the Bell Center as a proactive response to some of these indicators.”
