Drilling Down to Scale Up: B-UMLA Pilot Project

Amount Awarded

$130,000 (Project Timeline: 2 years)

Project Description

The Business Management Department, in collaboration with the Urban Male Leadership Academy (UMLA), proposes to establish an UMLA program in the Business Management Department (B-UMLA) to address the equity gaps in the retention and graduation rates of Black and Latino male business majors (“target group”). This proposal requests $130,000 for a two-year period (Fall 2021-24) through the Innovative Programs focus area to be applied towards implementing a comprehensive program to close the equity gap by improving the retention rate for first year students in our target group from 43% to 53% within two years of the project’s implementation. In addition, the B-UMLA focuses on the following Thematic Areas:

1. address student basic needs
2. improve student learning outcomes and engagement
3. reduce equity gaps in student retention, transfer, and graduation rates
4. incorporate career development programming
5. enhance existing academic student support
6. contribute to institutional efforts aimed at improving and reducing equity gaps and growing enrollment