ALLENDALE, Mich. — A group at Grand Valley State University wants the school to do more to support its African American students.
Data shows GVSU struggles to keep them past their first year, and those behind the effort believe it will stay that way until administrators act.
Grand Valley students, faculty and members of its leadership team came together Tuesday evening for a town hall about retention, representation and racism on campus.
“At the beginning of the school year, I felt like leaving in my first, second month here because I didn’t feel like I had any support,” one student said Tuesday evening.
“I’ve had one Black clinical instructor, and nobody in those hospitals looks like me. That’s unacceptable when you have my face on several billboards throughout this state,” another added.
Students Antonio Green, Michael King and Kaiya Smith organized the “Retention, Representation, Racism” town hall.
All three of them say the university’s Black scholars often feel isolated and question whether they belong.
“You don’t see that representation, or people that look like me, especially in classrooms, departments, organizations on campus, so it’s hard,” GVSU junior Kaiya Smith said.
GVSU data shows African American students made up 6.2% of its population in 2023 – an increase from the previous two years.
However, from 2020- 2022, the number of its Black, first-time scholars who came back the next fall decreased from nearly 70%- 53%.
“I want to be able to see that students are able to see the resources that they need on campus and it’s not so much that you have to go find them,” GVSU junior Antonio Green said.
Green, King and Smith say the university needs to address seven key issues that impact African American students, in order to keep them.
These issues include the lack of diverse staff and culturally competent supports.
So, they created a task force for each problem, which includes a faculty member who will advocate for change in the months ahead.
“It’s really important for us to listen to the words and stories. They sadden me. They frustrate me, but I tell you what – they compel me,” GVSU President Philomena Mantella said.
President Mantella added that she and her team want to improve the experience of their Black scholars, and promised to do whatever it takes.
“It is our deep and profound interest to do this with you, not separate from you,” President Mantella said.
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