Are African-American Male Undergraduate Retention Programs Successful? An Evaluation of an Undergraduate African-American Male Retention Program

Research indicates an alarming trend of African-American male students failing to graduate once enrolled in colleges and universities (National Center for Education Statistics 2011). In response to this problem, various universities have implemented academic programs to provide support and retention for these students. This study examines a retention program with Freshmen African-American male students in a large metropolitan university. Specifically, this article seeks to highlight the impact of retention programs on African-American male students successfully completing their first year of college. Results from a mixed method design suggest that retention programs have a positive impact on African-American male academics, with specificity to increased grade point averages.