Empowering Black Student Success: Insights From the National LEVEL UP and Get REAL Webinar

Chancellor Juan Salgado and Kennedy-King College student Joseph Rice shared their perspectives on Black student enrollment and retention during the National LEVEL UP and Get REAL webinar on Thursday, September 12. The two joined researchers and other community college leaders from around the country for an hour-long virtual panel.

The National LEVEL UP and Get REAL Webinar highlighted key strategies for supporting students and creating engaging learning environments. Joseph was the only student on the panel, and, as a Black male student, he was able to provide a first-hand perspective. He was asked why he’s still enrolled in college and how he’s bringing other Black students with him on a path to success.

To answer the former, Joseph talked about the plethora of support services City Colleges offers all students, including help with academic advising, transferring, scholarships, mental health resources, mentorship and leadership opportunities, childcare, and transportation and housing support.

Joseph is in his second year at Kennedy-King. He revealed he’s returned because he has developed personal relationships with faculty and staff who know his name and check in on him in regards to his classes, mental health, and life. He also appreciates seeing leaders like the chancellor and college presidents active on campus and taking the initiative to learn their students’ names.

To answer the latter question, Joseph shared that his experience as Kennedy-King’s Student Government Association president puts him in a unique position to ensure other students feel that sense of community and belonging. For example, he attended the WayMaker Men’s Summit in 2023, and this year, he worked to bring 20 other Black males with him to the conference.

Creating a sense of belonging was also paramount in Chancellor Salgado’s insights. The chancellor shared that the culture and tone to ensure students feel engaged is set before they complete their first class at City Colleges. The faculty at each campus prioritizes creating a caring community where instructors greet students in the doorway as they enter class and learn students’ names.

Chancellor Salgado also mentioned the role that partnerships play in cultivating a sense of belonging. For instance, City Colleges’ Early College partnership with Chicago Public Schools enrolls a large population of Black students. This helps Black learners realize they are welcome at City Colleges before graduating from high school.

Finally, Chancellor Salgado highlighted opportunities colleges are taking advantage of to create spaces for Black students to hone leadership skills and explore their culture—from the Timuel Black Scholarship and Fellowship trip to visit historic civil rights sites in Alabama, which Joseph attended, to study abroad trips to Africa.

City Colleges’ recent successes include a 4% increase in the percentage of degree-seeking Black students who either completed or transferred to a bachelor’s degree program within four years of entering City Colleges.

“This is not just happenstance,” Chancellor Salgado shared in regards to the number. “It is part of a larger strategic plan, with clear goals and pathways to ensure student success.”