A first program at the University of Missouri in Kansas City aims to empower men of color through personalized success coaching, regular group meetings, service projects and academic support.
The Men of Color Academy (MoCA) gives learners a head start during their college life by helping them achieve their individual and professional goals through academic and professional development and contributing to the university’s community of care committed to equitable learner access and success.
What is needed: Nationally, students of color are more likely to consider dropping out than their white counterparts, and this is most true for black and Latino students.
A 2022 study by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup found that 50 percent of Hispanic students and 40 percent of black students had difficulty staying in their program. More than half of Hispanic students and 43 percent of black students had also considered dropping out of their program for at least one semester.
At predominantly white institutions, such as UMKC, students of color are also more likely to report depression or anxiety, which may be related to a lack of feeling of belonging.
The background: MoCA, housed in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, is a Chancellor-sponsored initiative focused on retention and graduation rates for men of color.
“The program is designed to build a supportive and inclusive community for young men on campus and provide targeted academic resources, mentoring (and) leadership development opportunities to prepare them to reach their full potential on campus and in life in general,” said Brandon Martin, UMKC vice chancellor and athletic director.
Martin sees MoCA as part of a solution to breaking down stereotypes about men of color in Kansas City and across the country, particularly with regard to the perspectives of non-athletic male students of color and the value they add to higher education.
Martin founded the pilot program in spring 2023 before hiring JaVon Hill as program director.
And this is how it works: To join, MoCA students must be freshmen (which may include transfer students), male, and have a minimum GPA of 2.75. Any student who meets these criteria may join, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, expression, or ability.
Students answer a two-question questionnaire and submit an application along with their unofficial transcript. The program is competitive, Hill says, because it’s aimed at men interested in personal development.
“This is a big thing that they don’t understand at the moment of applying to the university or to the program, but once they’re immersed in the program, they understand it a little bit better,” he says.
Once accepted, participants commit to attending monthly programming sessions for approximately five hours per week, performing community service, and participating in campus events. All new students also take REGS 380, Masculinities of Color, in their second semester, which examines how racial and ethnic differences affect masculinity.
Students meet regularly with one of four academic success coaches, a senior fellow student or doctoral candidate who supports and encourages them based on their own experiences at university.
Students can also take tutoring classes and have spontaneous conversations with Martin and Hill at any time.
“We want them to achieve the greatest academic success possible while studying on campus, but at the same time ensure that they feel empowered and supported,” explains Martin.
MoCA’s curriculum is based on three theories, Hill said: Vincent Tinto’s model of student transition, racial and cultural identity development, and faith development theory. These frameworks are woven into the program’s monthly discussion topics, which range from academic achievement and spiritual identity to professional development, physical health, campus engagement, and community involvement.
“It’s about teaching these young men about themselves, but also the importance of giving back,” Martin says. “We want the students in this program to feel like they’re part of a fraternity five, 10, 15 or 20 years from now, but more importantly, they feel a sense of obligation and need to give back.”
MoCA also leverages the expertise of other campus offices to facilitate meetings on relevant topics such as admissions, faculty, student groups, or academic affairs.
The effects: MoCA retained 97 percent of its students (all but one, who transferred to another institution) from spring 2024 to fall 2024. Among program participants, the average GPA for fall 2023 was 2.98, rising to 3.02 for spring 2024 with the addition of nine new members, according to Hill.
The MoCA class of spring 2024 had a grade point average of 3.02 and 97 percent remained in the fall 2024 semester.
University of Missouri at Kansas City
According to a student survey, 94 percent of participants were satisfied with the program overall, and the majority felt comfortable with it. They said that the program helped them overcome the specific challenges faced by men in science and that it helped them develop professionally, academically or personally.
MoCA held its new student orientation in early August and will welcome 20 first-year students and five transfer students this fall, bringing the total number of participants to 60.
Both Martin and Hill want to grow the program by expanding it on campus among enrolled students, but also reaching out to local high schools to start conversations about access to college. To grow it, MoCA needs to build out its infrastructure, including additional success coaches and funding, and leverage the relationships already in place on campus to better serve learners.
Program leaders also strive to make MoCA a fixture throughout the University of Missouri system and across the country.
“At some point this should become a national model,” says Martin. “We are still in the early stages.”
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