From Mediocrity to Excellence: Successful Retention Strategies For Students at HBCU’s Lead to Successful Professional Career Development

As a twenty year veteran in higher education administration, I have served in the divisions of academic affairs, student affairs, and university advancement at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and currently at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU): Virginia Union University (VUU), an institution that looks small; but stands tall. Because of my diverse experience in higher education and my passion for retaining, training, equipping and preparing African American Students for successful transitions into the workplace, I have arrived in this season of my career where I boldly declare that if students embrace and employ the following retention strategies while they are matriculating, they will in fact be developed professionally for successful transition into the workplace. It is my belief that these twenty-five successful retention strategies when applied does not only lead to successful matriculation and graduation; but will assist us as Career Development Professionals in our mission to professionally develop students for successful careers and graduate school admissions.

As a result of my scholarly research in the area of “Survival Strategies for African American Students”, these four major categories: The Need to Understand Inner Resources, The Need To Identify College Resources, The Need To Develop Life And Study Skills and The Need To Manage Social Environments was responsible for birthing the twenty five retention strategies which I identified, researched, surveyed and disseminated as a Major Workshop Presenter at the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education for over a decade. This body of knowledge has been shared with university administrators embarking on careers in higher education, and with underrepresented students struggling to survive on college campuses throughout the California State University System and currently at Virginia Union University, where I am privileged to serve.

Therefore, I declare without reservations, that if African American Students are to move from mediocrity to excellence, successfully matriculate and graduate and become consummate professionals, they must embrace and employ the following retention strategies which will catapult them into becoming professionally developed careerist.

THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR INNER RESOURCES

1. The Need to be Spiritually Grounded
2. The Need to Possess a Healthy Self and Cultural Identity
3. The Need to be Self Motivated
4. The Need to Possess a Positive Mental Attitude

African American Students must understand the power and strength that they possess within, if they are to be successful in moving from mediocrity to excellence. They must embrace spirituality as they have come to know and accept their Creator; they must love and esteem themselves for having been fearfully and wonderfully made by their Creator; they must know who they are spiritually, ethnically, culturally and physically and know WHO it is they belong to. Students who are self-motivated and possess a positive attitude and demeanor when interacting with university administrators, faculty, staff, employers and the community will without question experience success in all of their endeavors.

As Career Development Professionals, we must teach these same strategies and principles when providing professional development training to our students. It will be critically important for students to know who they are and whom they belong to when transitioning into the workplace as well as into graduate school. Without self-knowledge, self-motivation and a positive mental attitude, it is impossible to be successful in the workplace. Students and Employees must understand their inner resources.

THE NEED TO IDENTIFY COLLEGE RESOURCES

1. The Need to Understand the Formal and Informal Rules of Your Campus

2. The Need to Seek Out and Utilize On-Campus Support Services

3. The Need to Access Tutors, Counselors, Academic Advisors, Mentors, Administrators & Staff

4. The Need to Familiarize Yourself with Campus Facilities that will enhance your Success

5. The Need to Become Involved in Co-Curricular Activities 6. The Need to Access Community Resources

In order for African American Students to survive on college campuses, they must use their analytical and survival skills to understand what they can and cannot do on university campuses. They must use their innate networking skills to seek out and take advantage of the on-campus support services offered to them throughout the campus. Students cannot be afraid when they are in need of help and support to access tutors, counselors, advisors, mentors, administrators and staff. They must know where these individuals are located throughout the campus and familiarize themselves with key on-campus facilities and offices such as but not limited to: schools/colleges where their major advisors are located; tutoring and computer labs; counseling and psychological services, educational opportunity programs, university library, financial aid, student health services, residence life, registrar’s office, undergraduate studies and of course they must know where the Career Development Center is located on their campuses. Accessing and using these campus resources will certainly enhance their successfulness and move them from mediocrity to excellence.

The same is true when new employees transition into the workplace, they must be politically savvy enough to find out the formal and informal rules of their new office environment. They must devote time to understanding the organization’s politics, maintaining open lines of communication with senior administrators and understanding fully their role within the organization. Understanding the organization’s culture must be paramount as they transition successfully.

Additionally, new employees should immediately seek to build alliances by identifying a Mentor. A Mentor is someone who will believe in them and will commit to teaching them the language of the system. Mentors are absolutely necessary for successful transition into any workplace environment. They will help you to become a part of the organization and share its philosophy and values. Another related strategy or principle for successful transition will be to reach out to support groups as well as joining when appropriate an association that will aid in their continued professional development.

THE NEED TO DEVELOP LIFE AND STUDY SKILLS

1. The Need to Think Critically, Analytically and Logically
2. The Need to Understand Classroom Savvy
3. The Need to Utilize Professors /Advisors
4. The Need to Develop Effective Time Management Skills
5. The Need to Manage Your Finances
6. The Need to Understand Basic Budget Techniques
7. The Need to Avoid Credit Card Debt
8. The Need to Become Computer Literate
9. The Need to Develop Interpersonal Communication Skills

Of equal importance and relevance to the success of African American Students is the need for them to develop life and study skills that will enable them to be effective in their academic pursuits. Students must learn how to think critically, analytically and logically if they are to effectively communicate verbally, non-verbally and in written form. They must seek to develop authentic relationships with their professors and advisors and utilize their office hours to gain access to their expertise and experiences. Success nowadays is impossible without students being computer literate and savvy. Technology is the future.

If students are to be successful academically, they must develop effective time management skills and learn how to effectively manage their finances. Some students are fortunate to have their tuitions paid fully by their parents, grants and or scholarships. However, most African American students must seek Financial Aid assistance through loans and work-study and most, if not all have relied on part-time, seasonal or full-time positions to help them financially while in college. As a consequence of poor financial management, many of our students are in classes without textbooks, supplies for class assignments and proper business and professional attire for career fairs and interviewing.

In order to become more effective in this area, students must understand basic budget techniques and avoid credit card debts. A major stumbling block for college students in general and underrepresented students in particular is their allegiance to credit card companies that persuade them to open up accounts for which they are usually not able to pay. If students are going to be retained on our college and university campuses, they must reject this temptation.

In contrast, the same is true when students become employees in the workplace; they must employ these same strategies and principles in their career positions. Employers expect employees to think critically, analytically and logically in their specific roles in order to achieve the mission of the organization. Possessing political savvy ness is an expectation of all employees who desire to move up the ladder of success. Also expected of new employees is their ability to effectively manage their time in order to accomplish their work and meet assignment deadlines. The ability to manage their finances and to understand basic budgetary concepts may appear on the surface not to be relevant; however, this knowledge will in the long run will potentially assist new employees on understanding company budgets and how are administered. It will also alleviate additional stress from the employee’s life if finances are managed effectively.

THE NEED TO MANAGE YOUR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

1. The Need to Manage Stress
2. The Need to Control Alcohol and Other Drugs
3. The Need to Develop Awareness about Dating Violence, Sex, AIDS, etc.
4. The Need to Effectively Evaluate Friendships and Associations
5. The Need to Develop Healthy Eating Habits
6. The Need to Exercise Regularly

My final category focuses on the need for African American Students to manage their social environments. The ability to do this effectively will definitely assist in the student’s success at their respective institutions. Stress Management is one of the most difficult areas to conquer both as a student and a career professional. For students, it requires learning how to control alcohol and other drugs so that their ability to function will not be impaired. Resisting peer pressure from sorority sisters, fraternity brothers, fellow athletes and other club and organizations members as well as from fellow students will be the key to managing this area effectively.

Another area that must be managed and brought under subjection must be African American students’ awareness about date rape, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and the gamut of other illnesses and sicknesses that can increase their stress levels and lead them into clinical depression and sometimes even suicide. Students must be able to critically and analytically evaluate friendships and associations that may be detrimental to their success personally, academically and spiritually. Stress can be managed by making a commitment to focus on one’s diet and exercise. Developing healthy eating habits and scheduling time to exercise regularly will create homeostasis: balance and harmony the life of a student.

These stress management strategies, techniques and principles are also necessary in the workplace and as we pursue graduate education. Crisis Management, Diet and Exercise, Meditation and Homeostasis are recipes for success, good health and happiness. I submit that as a career professional, only when our minds, bodies and spirits are in balance and harmony; will our thinking, feeling and acting line up. When these areas are integrated properly, Stress is reduced and Success is increased.

In conclusion, I challenge my colleagues in career development to sound this alarm: “when the above mentioned retention strategies and principles are applied successfully by African American Students and merged into professional development training by Career Development Professionals they will lead to successful transition into the workplace.