Tamiko Jones, a 2001 MSU graduate, considered dropping out when her financial aid fell through.
Because of her son, though, she claimed herself as an independent and finished her degree.
But Jones said many black students are set up to fail.
“It’s not fair for students who start 10 steps back or don’t have the money to afford school,” said Jones, who is black. “It’s not that they’re not smart, it’s just society’s not in our favor.”
She said she wasn’t surprised black students are graduating at lower rates than white students.
According to a recent report by The Detroit News, of seven Michigan universities from the freshman class of 1994, 40 percent of blacks, 61 percent of whites and 74 percent of Asians had received diplomas after six years.
Nationally, Division I schools have a graduation rate of 59.4 percent for whites and 39 percent for blacks. MSU ranked above average with 44.7 percent blacks versus 70.4 percent whites. The report’s confirmation of a race gap concerns some students.
“I don’t think Michigan universities are minority-friendly,” Jones said. “Once you’re admitted, you’re nothing but a number. You have to prove yourself.”
Experts attribute the lower graduation rates to limited academic preparation, adjustment to campus and money problems.
MSU officials say there’s not an easy solution.
“We’ve been wrestling with an answer for years,” MSU Trustee Robert Weiss said.
The MSU Board of Trustees recommended an 8.9 percent tuition increase last week. Weiss was the only board member to vote against it, saying it would create a disadvantage for middle-class and low-income students.
And Betty Sanford, the coordinator of SUPER - Summer University Program Excellence Required - said the tuition hike is a new dilemma for students.
Her program, an eight-week course that aims to familiarize incoming minority freshmen with campus and allow them the chance to earn college credit by taking required classes during the summer, is one avenue MSU offers to retain minority students.
“We have (incoming freshmen) talking to us now who say ‘I don’t know if I’ll be here in a year,’” Sanford said.
Lee June, vice president for Student Affairs and Services, said MSU addresses issues through counseling, mentors, supportive services for first-generation college students and financial assistance.
He said it’s “unethical to admit students and not provide the support to graduate.”
In turn, though, students must be willing to take advantage of the services offered, June said.
And Murray Edwards, senior coordinator for the Office of Minority Student Affairs, said he’s seen students overcome inequalities to earn a degree.
“If you’re 10 steps behind, you need to use services to catch up,” he said. “It’s not an excuse. I’m not denying that there are inequalities, but it’s all about what you do when you get on campus.”
And university officials are emphasizing pre-college programs to increase student retention.
“The first year is the most crucial,” Edwards said. “In order for a student to be successful they need a strong foundation.”
Edwards developed the MAGIC - Maximizing Academic Growth in College - program to connect minority incoming freshmen with campus support services, mentors and faculty.
The weeklong forum’s goal is to make students responsible for their education by providing resources.
In its sixth year, 96 percent of the MAGIC participants returned for their sophomore year, above the average campus rate of 86 percent, Edwards said. Since the adoption of programs, the graduation rates for blacks have steadily increased at MSU.
And statewide, more colleges are adopting residence hall programming and supportive services to increase retention among minority students.
“The key to retention is that students need to feel like they have ownership in the university system,” said Alicia Price, the African American coordinator at the University of Michigan.
U-M’s Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs aims to promote leadership skills, social justice and advise student groups, she said.
And Qiana Green, an MSU sociology senior who is black, said visiting the Office of Supportive Services and joining clubs aided in her success.
“I like knowing that there were black faculty and minority faculty who I could turn to for support,” said Green, who will graduate in May. “It’s really like a family. I wouldn’t have made it without them.”
Kristina Hughes can be reached at hughesk7@msu.edu.
