SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College has joined the Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL) National Consortium on College Men of Color (NCCMC). Participation in the NCCMC will enhance the commitment to improving the success of historically underrepresented and underserved students, including men of color.

In addition, the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges has approved Minority Male Success Initiative funding in the amount of $105,000 (a total of $35,000 per year for three years), contingent upon approval of the Fiscal Year 2019-2022 N.C. General Assembly appropriations. The funding will go toward the Success Coach Program at CCCC.

Despite programs designed to enhance outcomes for men of color, in the United States only 17 percent and 15 percent of Black and Latino men, respectively, earn a certificate, degree, or transfer from a community college to a four-year institution in six years. Figures for men from other ethnic groups also indicate a need for improvement.

To combat this achievement gap, the NCCMC facilitates an exchange of ideas between community colleges across the nation on how best to serve men of color in educational institutions. Community colleges convene to share their efforts and learn about new strategies for enhancing the success of men of color.

Jairo McMican, CCCC Dean of Student Learning, said of the program: "Joining this consortium will grant us access to resources that we need in closing some equity gaps. There is no cost to join and we will be able to learn how to institute best practices from a plethora of other schools involved in the program."

McMican added: "Learning best practices will ensure we are using evidence based approaches to achieving greater outcomes."

"Central Carolina Community College's commitment to Student Success and its strategic focus on Student Learning directly correlates with the mission of National Consortium on College Men of Color (NCCMC)," said Kevin Pearson, CCCC College Success Coordinator/Advisor. "Joining the consortium provides CCCC an opportunity to exemplify one of its core values 'Access' by increasing the resources available to ensure pathways to academic success for the diverse population it serves.

"I see the need to prioritize success initiatives for men who have been historically underserved in postsecondary education and engaging this consortium will enable myself and others within the college community to access the research and information from colleagues around the country who are invested in this work," said Pearson. "I believe this partnership will ultimately strengthen minority male student outcomes at CCCC and encourage participation and collaboration among student participants and institutional departments for the benefit of our minority males."

For more information on this program, contact CCCC College Success Coordinator/Advisor Kevin Pearson at 919-718-7386 or by email at kpearson@cccc.edu.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit the college website at www.cccc.edu.