Even with the growing trend of Hispanic students matriculating and eventually attaining degrees from postsecondary institutions, there has been a disparity in the numbers of male Latino students reaching this goal. To address this issue, a research and mentoring initiative was created within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) at the University of Texas at Austin. Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) was launched in the fall of 2010 with the intent of promoting student success in both secondary and postsecondary education (high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion).
Goals and Objectives
According to the Project Males website, the program aims to:
- Develop and sustain a research-informed, culturally-relevant mentoring program that advances the success of Latino males and males of color across the educational pipeline.
- Increase year-to-year retention as well as graduation rates of Latino male students (and other males of color) enrolled at UT-Austin and partner institutions.
- Increase Latino male participation in academic support programs.
- Sponsor the Project MALES Student Council, a UT student organization specifically designed for the advancement of male student success.
- Host an annual community dialogue to raise awareness about the unique challenges facing Latino males at every step of the educational pipeline.
Project MALES has received state and national acclaim due to its innovative intergenerational approach to mentoring young Latino males. Led by Dr. Victor Sáenz, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin, the project most recently launched a new statewide initiative to focus on improving Hispanic and African-American male student success across the state of Texas.
Dr. Sáenz will present his ongoing research and share strategies for addressing the education gap for men of color at AACRAO’s 24th Annual Strategic Enrollment Management Conference.
Join us October 26-29, 2014, at the J.W. Marriott Los Angeles LA Live. Registration is open and hotel reservations are being accepted.
AACRAO to Host 9th Annual Strategic Enrollment Management Executive Symposium
Held in conjunction with AACRAO's SEM Conference and geared to the needs of cabinet-level administrators, the 9th Annual Executive Symposium will offer a solid foundation for implementing and sustaining effective SEM planning. Led by SEM experts Bob Bontrager, Susan Gottheil, and William Serrata, the one-day symposium will feature sessions on SEM core concepts, SEM and student success, creating effective SEM organizations, and moving forward with SEM planning. Registration is now open. The Executive Symposium is sponsored by Hobsons.