There is a divide between the number of white high school graduates that move on to secondary education and students of color.
“This grant will enable us to integrate our academic advising with early and ongoing career advising to ensure that students understand how their academic efforts will support their post-graduation goals,” said George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology Dean Simone Cummings.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], in 2020 the college enrollment rate for white students was 62.9%, Hispanic students 56.2%, and Black students 56.6%.
There is also ‘postsecondary completion gap’ between white students and students who identify either as a person of color or who come from a low-income household.
Through a $30,000 grant, Webster University is working to close the wedge that exists on campus and after college graduation.
Career advising is now a part of admissions, orientation, and first year and beyond activities. A concentrated effort will help students better understand the types of jobs and majors best suited to their interests.
Webster will expand training for faculty members who serve as student advisors and incorporate both academic and career advising throughout a student’s time at the university before graduation.
The Missouri College and Career Attainment Network (MOCAN) and Complete College America (CCA) awarded the grant, which is funded by the Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation. Webster will receive $10,000 per year for the next three years to invest in ways to improve graduation rates.
“This grant will enable us to integrate our academic advising with early and ongoing career advising to ensure that students understand how their academic efforts will support their post-graduation goals,” said George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology Dean Simone Cummings.
Obtaining a degree once in college also statistically shows students of color not finding as much success as their counterparts.
The NCES reports that in 2019, approximately 64% of all undergraduates will earn a bachelor’s degree, with white graduates matching that number.
For Indigenous students, the rate is about 55%; for Hispanic students, the rate is about 53%; for Black students, the rate is 46%; and for Pell Grant recipients, the rate is about 25%.
“We anticipate that these efforts will result in increased student retention and graduation rates, which not only benefit students, but employers and our general community as well,” said Cummings.
Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vincent C. Flewellen said the grant will benefit all students but will provide the greatest benefit to Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color [BILPOC].”
“Nationally, BILPOC students tend to graduate at rates that are 20% to 50% lower than white students. And when you look at income, the numbers become more dire, as Pell Grant recipients are significantly more likely to drop out of college than earn a degree.”
At Webster, 49% of graduate and undergraduate students are BIPOC, with Black students comprising 32.7% of that figure during the 2019-2020 school year.
Rise Up
Webster University’s effort to help minority students and those from low-income families find success during after their studies at Webster is ongoing.
Launched two years ago, the Resilience Inspires Student Excellence [RISE program was launched to improve educational access and career success for undergraduate diverse, local students. Its goals include increasing GPAs among BILPOC students, provide increased interactions, and develop a greater sense of community for these students, on and off campus.
RISE program participants are introduced to available resources and monitoring component, which can benefit them academically and socially.
The students must also do their part to achieve success for themselves and the program.
Participating students are selected each fall, and they must maintain 3.0 GPA each semester. They are also required to participate in a variety of activities that are integral to achieving the desired program outcomes.
These include meeting with a RISE tutor liaison, the RISE coordinator, and as a group with the RISE team of faculty and staff at the Monthly Community Sunday Dinners.
Webster University and Edward Jones launch program to boost diversity in financial services industry. See The St. Louis American Diversity Special Section in today’s print edition and online at www.stlamercan.com.
