Jordan Davis plans on taking over DePauw.
And he wants other African-American males to have no excuse not to do the same.
"I wanted to make sure African American men, specifically the men in my class, stayed on campus," Davis said.
To accomplish that task, the current sophomore started attending meetings of the Black Male Initiative his first semester on campus.
Last spring, he became a member of the initiative's planning committee.
Aliya Beavers, coordinator of multicultural recruitment and a member of the planning committee, said the initiative began over six years ago to improve the retention rates of African American males at DePauw.
"It was a way for them to bring men of the community together to talk about any concerns or issues that they may be having and try to figure out how to support better so more students would be retained on campus," Beavers said.
Since then, the population of international students and domestic students of color has doubled. That population now composes 27 percent of the student body with domestic students of color making up 17 percent.
Hermen Diaz, who joins Beavers on the committee and also serves as assistant director of multicultural student services, couldn't find the actual percentage of black males that have graduated from DePauw over the last several years, but he said retention rates among them have risen.
"I think at DePauw we started to utilize some resources and push some new initiatives to try to help that (retention)," Diaz said. "I think that we at DePauw do a good job and a much better job than I would say most institutions do at focusing on specific populations that have historically been retained at a really poor level."
But Davis says many of his friends haven't been so lucky.
The Indianapolis native said several of his friends from home have already dropped out of college.
‘NO EXCUSES'
When searching for colleges, Davis said he wanted a small student body and small class sizes.
He also wanted to attend a school with a high retention rate for African American males.
"It's (retention of black males) always been a big problem that I heard about when I was in high school," he said. "When I came to college, I knew, I wasn't going to drop out."
Davis heard about the Black Male Initiative from friends who went to DePauw while he was still at Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School, a small charter school in Indianapolis with the motto "College or Die."
But he said the biggest reason he attended DePauw was the university's scholarship package.
Since arriving at DePauw, Davis said he's seen more friends leave for financial reasons than for academic ones.
"They're leaving because of finances, which is an issue that has not been tackled," he said. "It's mostly that they're not getting enough money."
Davis said the solution is to look for more scholarship opportunities for African American men, a topic the initiative plans to address at its next meeting on Thursday, March 22.
Diaz and Beavers said other reasons for dropping out have included family responsibilities and feelings of not fitting in at the university.
This month's meeting, which took place on Thursday, focused on interviewing skills and featured admissions officer Keith Stanford ‘95 as the guest speaker.
SUPPORT FOR ALL
As a freshman at DePauw, Stanford said the mentoring he received from upperclassmen helped him acclimate to the university, a wholly different environment than his high school.
Stanford credits that assistance, as well as the guidance from then university president Bob Bottoms, for his success.
Since then, the number of African American males at DePauw and their retention rates has risen.
The group's structure and purpose has changed, too.
While the initial focus of the initiative revolved around retention and academics, Diaz said, this year's meetings have centered on professional development.
Students have also begun to play a more integral role in the initiative.
According to Beavers, students only became involved in the initiative's planning process last year when the committee was first developed.
"The students really identify the pertinent issues specific to the black male population here at DePauw," Diaz said. "So that way we're not just assuming what the population needs."
Juniors Isaiah Holmes, Ersane John, Jeffrey Perkins and Christopher Taylor join Beavers, Diaz and Davis on the committee.
"It provides a safe and affirming environment for black males to come and get to know one another, learn some new things in a place where they feel comfortable doing so," Diaz said.
But for Davis, the potential of the Black Male Initiative extends beyond race or gender.
"It's not just about helping to retain African American men on campus," he said. "[My goal is] making sure that the Black Male Initiative continues to grow, and that one day we become a great organization that does not just appeal to the African American community but men of all colors."
Beavers, too, said there's always room for improvement in multicultural affairs.
She hopes to see more multicultural alumni return to the university to speak with students. She also said she's like to see more African American men to attend the initiative's meetings.
The Black Male Initiative meets monthly and usually hosts a social event or two each semester.
Looking forward, Davis said he hopes all students can learn to support and build each other up.
"We're at the same school, in the same classes, and heading towards that great standard of uncommon success," he said. "We need to make sure we're building each other up, and I think one day [the Black Male Initiative] will come to that level. And I'm excited for the future."
