The Umbrella Project
Strategies to Increase
African American/Black and LatinX Student Success at ODU
In Virginia, the African American/Latinx population of college-aged students is 34% and Old Dominion University is one of the three public universities with a population that mirrors this average and is ranked third highest for Pell Grant enrollment (Dannenberg et al., 2021).
Old Dominion University has long been a multicultural and diverse institution. As such, it is important to take a deeper look into equity and ensure that all student populations have the tools necessary to succeed. In the last three fall semesters, over 3,700 undergraduate students fell into an academic warning, probation, or suspension zone. Of those, almost 50% identified as African American/Black or LatinX. This number increases when considering students who identify as more than one race or who did not report race.
A Call to Action
Despite the research and increased focus on African American/Black and LatinX college students, at Old Dominion University, they still make up almost half of students in academic difficulty. We need to create intentional ways to improve communication and decrease barriers to academic success.
Approximately 50% of African American/Black and LatinX students are in academic difficulty. Resources are in place, but they don't always fit student needs or students do not know how to access them.
Our prototype provides multiple ways to promote academic success for African American/Black and LatinX students.