Computer science junior Rayshawn Holbrook's academic life at MSU hasn't been the same since his freshman year - when his family of four children first began.

"Life happens," Holbrook said. "I should have taken some time off from school, but I always wanted to keep going."

Holbrook, 22, who has two sons, a daughter and an adopted daughter, plans to graduate in 2006.

But he said there were times when he struggled. During his first year at MSU, when his family was growing, he failed several courses, but he worked to bring his grades up.

"During my freshman year, I was less focused than I am now," Holbrook said. "I wanted to graduate to make money. After I had kids, I had to graduate for their future."

Despite the hardships of being a student parent, Holbrook also deals with issues of race - he is black. Statistically, if Holbrook attended MSU 15 years ago, he might not have as good of a chance to make it to graduation.

For many people, February, Black History Month, is about addressing historical and ongoing issues that affect the black community, including university graduation retention rates.

In 1989, MSU's graduation rates of black students was a main concern. Although it continues to be an issue today, the rate has increased by 22 percent - but still is lower than the rate for white students.

But as administrators look to past successes for clues on how to close the gap, there are many roadblocks along the way.

For Holbrook, the first in his family to attend college, his graduation is more than just a diploma.

"A lot of students may think that there's some reason why they can't finish school," Holbrook said. "You just have to figure out how."

A protest spurs change

In 1989, hundreds of black students held an eight-day protest at the Administration Building.

The study-in, as protesters called it, covered a wide range of issues. The main contention was that MSU wasn't doing enough to retain minority students, said Darius Peyton, who served as the protest's co-spokesperson.

"We needed to raise awareness levels of what we thought addressed the issues of retention - or lack thereof - of students at MSU," Peyton said, adding that at the time, the graduation rate for black students was about 33 percent, compared to 60 percent for white students.

After the protest, more black faculty members were hired at MSU and were given higher positions. The idea was that having black faculty members would help keep black students in school because they were given black role models.

The Council of Racial and Ethnic Students also was formed to give black students representation in the student government.

During the last decade, MSU has revamped its recruitment of minority students by creating the College Achievement Admissions Program, which targets minority students, specifically from underprivileged backgrounds, for enrollment at MSU. Once enrolled, students are offered additional academic involvement and other services.

In 2002, the Black Male Initiative was formed by students, faculty members and alumni to address the graduation rates of black men at MSU, who historically have had lower graduation rates than black women. The group of black male faculty members, alumni and students meet to discuss strategies for increasing black student graduation rates.

Just scratching the surface

Despite the initial success of the student-led protest and resulting efforts, retention for black students still is a concern at MSU and nationwide.

Last year, Paulette Granberry Russell, assistant to the president on diversity affairs, presented 2002 graduation data to the Board of Trustees. According to the data, the six-year graduation rate for students who enrolled in the 1996 fall semester was 69 percent. Of those students, black students had a graduation rate of 55.2 percent, the highest at MSU in 15 years.

The current nationwide college graduation rate for black students is 39 percent. This figure is 21 percentage points below white students - at 60 percent - according to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

But Granberry Russell said more still can be done to increase the rates of black students.

"There is room for improvement," Granberry Russell said. "Efforts on campus have increased to close the disparity of graduation rates between the majority and students of color."

But Black Student Alliance President Geneva Thomas said the issues of retention and graduation rates won't be quick fixes.

"It's going to take much more than scratching the surface of numbers and statistics," Thomas said. "It's going to take looking into the real root of the problem - the real reason for students not succeeding."

'Nobody related to me'

There can be a variety of reasons for the high college dropout rates among black students - from money and inadequate academic preparation to an unfriendly campus climate. These issues can affect black students in different ways.

Because fewer family members have attempted college, black students might find themselves alone when it comes time to make a decision to stay in school or quit, said English sophomore Rasheia Hardy, who is black.

She is the only one in her family to pursue a college degree. Her brother attended a community college, but dropped out after a semester.

Hardy said it's hard for first-generation college students to find someone to talk with about academic struggles.

"Nobody related to me," Hardy said, adding that those in her hometown were skeptical of her ability to succeed. "When my grades slipped, people expected me to fail, and that weighed on my heart bad."

Hardy also said the atmosphere at MSU is one of the reasons she found it hard to succeed. Last semester, her grades continued to slip, and on Christmas Eve, she received a letter from MSU stating that she could no longer attend the university because of her grades.

Another problem presented to black students can be adapting to a new environment where they find themselves a minority. About 76 percent of MSU students are white, and Hardy grew up in predominately black Detroit, where she said she was used to having a network of black supporters.

"Detroit and East Lansing are two totally different worlds," Hardy said.

Hardy said finances are also a problem for many black students in college.

"When my mom can't even pay the light bill, how am I supposed to pay for tuition?"

Future success

This semester, Hardy came back to MSU after finding support and confidence with MSU groups and services.

She said she depended on hall directors, the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs, Black Caucus and the Office of Supportive Services to help her transition into college life at MSU.

"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here," she said.

Hardy said earning a college education is now important to her.

"You need a background and some degree - some sort of paper behind your back," Hardy said.

Amy Davis can be reached at davisam8@msu.edu.