February 11, 2016
By Shannen Hill
Contributing Writer
Thousands of students with folders of college information filled the Los Convention Center as the 17th Annual Black College Expo brought representatives from across the country to show Los Angles what historically Black colleges and universities have to offer on Sunday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The halls were full of young, Black students with gleaming eyes ready to speak to representatives of close to 100 colleges and educational programs, including Howard University, Tuskegee University and Fisk University. Not only was there information, but students also had to opportunity to apply and get accepted on the spot.
“I’ve been going to this event since I was eight, but I’m taking it really seriously this year because I’m a senior,” said Leah Mitchell, 17, a senior at Pomona High School. “I think this event is very important because sometimes people don’t think that they can get accepted and then they come here and get accepted and without it they probably wouldn’t have applied.”
The expo featured tons of workshops and booths surrounding different college concerns and career routes. The panel discussions ranged from topics of how a college education changes lives to college opportunities through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Whether it was the student’s first time going or if they had been going since kindergarten, the expo had a wealth of information that everyone could take something from.
“I got to see a lot of colleges and connect with a lot of people. I also learned a lot about scholarships and how you can get them from so many places, even food places,” said Tyler Faison, 16, a junior at Gardena High School. “I really like this event because I think it helps Black people as a culture to want to go to college.”
The expo encouraged scholarship as is rewarded over $25,000 to close to 15 students with checks ranging from $150 to $5,000. Judge Greg Mathis also played a part in the expo as he personally gave out two $5,000 scholarship checks. The students who won will be able to use these scholarships for a number of things ranging from books, to housing, to even tuition payment. The winners were picked based off of their essays on why a college education is important to them.
“It’s a huge relief, $5000. But whether it’s $5,000 or $100, every single bit counts,” said Rickey Brown III, 18, who received the highest scholarship given. “This isn’t my first scholarship and hopefully it won’t be my last. I’m so grateful to everyone involved because it’s great to see people who have made it give back and continue to encourage minorities to pursue higher education.”
The expo also included s stage with a DJ and various performances hosted by the Westbrook sisters to give the students an idea of social life at a historically Black college.
“What really sticks out to me is that not only is there great information and opportunities to go to historically Black colleges, but also the performances,” said Judge Mathis. “This is an opportunity to let them know how fun college can be. It shows them that they can become members of a step team and they can join sororities and fraternities to enhance themselves and their community. There are many other aspects of college than studying and athletics.”
The expo continues to grow each year and throughout the year as there are community events through the organization every day geared towards mentoring, resume building and more. The Black College Expo also tours Atlanta, Oakland, Houston, DC/Maryland and New York.
“We’re just trying to make sure that we meet students at the front door, wherever they are, who they think they’re not, and what they don’t know they can be because we are all gifted and we’re trying to dig it out of them and let them know that it’s already there and we just need to shine it up,” said Theresa Price, founder of the Black College Expo.
For more information on how you can get involved, visit www.thecollegeexpo.org.
February 04, 2016
By Pat Eaton-Robb
Associated Press
The University of Connecticut is creating a community for black men inside a new dorm on its campus, following the lead of some other predominantly white schools in an effort to boost low graduation and retention rates among male African-American students.
As many as 43 students, expected to be mostly freshmen and sophomores, will live together and receive specialized social, academic and career-development support.
“We really want a wrap-around approach to make sure that we are creating an optimal environment where these young men can achieve excellence,” said Erik Hines, a UConn professor and the faculty director for the ScHOLAR2RS House.
The announcement comes in the wake of student protests across the nation last year demanding more racial sensitivity on college campuses, including ethnic living spaces.
The University of Iowa last month announced that in response to its students’ concerns it would open up a similar learning community “Young, Gifted and Black,” for first-year students. The University of Minnesota has had a program for four years, also located on one floor of a dormitory on its twin-cities campus.
The programs are designed to be more comprehensive than minority-based student organizations or fraternities on most campuses.
UConn’s ScHOLAR2RS House will be open to anyone interested in the African-American experience, whether or not they are black, Hines said. The program will include special classes and research opportunities through faculty mentorships, peer mentoring and social trips off campus.
The students will be living in a new dormitory, set to open in the fall of 2016, with about 700 other students who are in other learning communities — such as one for women who are engineering, math or science majors and another for students interested in ecology and environmental protection.
Shakeer Abdullah, Minnesota’s assistant vice president for equity and diversity, said since the establishment of his school’s community, The Huntley House in 2012, grades among its residents have improved. He said it has also helped combat what is known as “onlyness,” where a black man on campus frequently finds himself the only African-American member of a social or academic circle and is unfairly asked to represent his race.
“They get a chance to come back to the Huntley House and exhale,” he said. “They get to realize ‘I do belong here. Here’s a strong group of folks who look like me, have experiences like me and we get to work through these things.’”
At UConn, there are about 580 African-American men out of about 21,000 undergraduates on the rural campus in Storrs. Their graduation rate is about 55 percent, compared to 81 percent of all male students and 83 percent of all UConn undergraduates.
Anthony Matthews, a junior from Hartford, said often just one or two other black men are in his computer science and engineering classes. He said that can be isolating and he would welcome a place where he could spend more time with other people who have a similar background and experiences.
“When you’re surrounded with peers and you’re all doing good, it makes you feel like you’re part of something larger,” he said.
January 28, 2016
City News Service
The operator of a for-profit college chain with campuses in Sherman Oaks, Long Beach and elsewhere was sued today for allegedly lying about its students' job prospects and earning potential.
The Federal Trade Commission contends DeVry University — which also has branches in Anaheim, San Diego, Palmdale and Pomona — deceived consumers by claiming that 90 percent of its students seeking employment were hired in their field within six months of graduation.
“Educational institutions like DeVry owe prospective students the truth about their graduates’ success finding employment in their field of study and the income they can earn,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said in a statement announcing the suit, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
DeVry said it would “vigorously” contest the FTC’s allegations in court.
“The FTC’s complaint — filed 40 years after DeVry University began publishing accurate graduate employment statistics — is without a valid legal basis,” the Downers Grove, Illinois-based company said in a statement. “There is no national standard for calculating employment statistics among higher- education institutions, and the measures and standards used by DeVry University to support its statistics are appropriate.”
According to the lawsuit, “Through the use of English- and Spanish-language advertisements and other marketing materials, and during sales pitches with prospective students (DeVry has) made deceptive representations about the benefits of obtaining a degree.”
The complaint alleges DeVry counted many graduates as working “in their field” when they were not, including a business administration graduate working as a server at the Cheesecake Factory restaurant; graduates who majored in technical management working as unpaid volunteer positions at medical centers; and a business administration graduate with a health care management specialization working as a car salesman.
The complaint further alleges that DeVry counted as placed in jobs graduates who were working in the same positions they held prior to enrolling at DeVry.
In a related action, the U.S. Department of Education gave notice to DeVry to stop certain advertising regarding student employment outcomes.
DeVry responded that it would request a hearing to contest the department’s notice.
Another for-profit college chain, Santa Ana-based Corinthian Colleges Inc., closed and filed for bankruptcy last year amid allegations it falsified job-placement data in its marketing materials and altered grades and attendance figures.
After Corinthian’s collapse, the Department of Education said it was crafting new regulations to help students seek debt relief and better hold colleges accountable for wrongdoing.
January 21, 2016
LAWT News Service
Compton Unified School District’s Jefferson Elementary School welcomed two very special guests to its iPad rollout event, Friday, January 15.
Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre and Lisa Jackson, Vice-President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives for Apple, visited the school to see Jefferson’s classrooms transform into 21st century learning environments after students received new iPads.
In an effort to boost academic achievement while preparing students for college and careers, the District and Apple have begun distributing iPads to students at five schools.
The participating schools including Jefferson, Bursch, Carver, and Kelly elementary schools and Walton Middle School received Apple grants through the White House’s ConnectED Initiative, which aims to increase student achievement and bridge the digital divide.
They are among 114 schools nationwide and five out of the sixteen schools in California selected for this prestigious Apple grant.
Principal Mario Marcos said the entire Jefferson school community is excited to see how the new devices will impact the lives of their students.
“With Apple technology in the hands of our students we really have an opportunity to transform the way we do instruction,” he said. “More than ever our students are going to develop their capacity to be innovators and creative thinkers, and that’s what is needed in the 21st century.”
He added that the school was honored to welcome Lisa Jackson and Dr. Dre as guests.
“It was wonderful to have them here seeing our students engaged with the iPads on the first day they get to use them in class. We’re thankful to Apple and our guests for this opportunity.”
Aspiring musician and Jefferson Elementary fourth-grader Chris Munoz was star-struck after meeting Dr. Dre when the hip-hop icon. Chris said he wants to learn how to make music just like his musical hero using his new iPad.
“He’s my favorite rapper,” he said. “I’m excited about the iPad because I can try to make movies and music. I think I can learn better with the iPad.”