The Color of Success: How First- Generation African-American Students Overcame Matriculation Obstacles at Predominantly White Institutions Tiffany Tuma, Georgia Gwinnett College Jason Ottley, West Virginia University Kevin Wright, University of Cincinnati- Main Campus Leah Turner, Ohio University Tuesday, March 14, 2017 Grand Ballroom Salon C - Marriott Rivercenter

Fast Facts In 1823 Alexander Lucius Twilight becomes the first known African American to graduate from a college in the United States. He received a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. The first Morrill Act of 1862 institutionalized higher education. In 1863 Daniel A. Payne, a historian, educator, and minister, becomes the founder and first black president of Wilberforce University in Ohio. The growth of PWIs came after the Civil War with the help of public taxes and land grants. Black college students have the highest dropout rates at two and four year institutions The percentage of white students who complete a college degree is 61.5% compared to 39.5% of black students HBCUs enroll 13% of black undergraduate students, but produce 22% of black baccalaureates . Of the 106 HBCU institutions today 27, offer doctoral programs, and 52 Master’s level programs.

Introduction of Presenters Tiffany Tuma Georgia Gwinnett College tzh0006@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-tuma-m-ed-3869524b/ “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.”- Marian Wright Edelman Kevin Wright University of Cincinnati Twitter: @k_wright92 kevinwright2092@gmail.com “I want to go down in history in a chapter marked miscellaneous because the writers could find no other way to categorize me” -Staceyann Chin Jason Ottley West Virginia University Instagram: @JasonOttley #Epiphany “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten” - Tony Robbins Leah Turner Ohio University Twitter: @LeahMarie_T #DrLeahMarie leahturner129@gmail.com “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” -Nelson Mandela

Goals of Presentation Learning Outcomes 1. To evaluate the strengths and challenges of First-Generation African-American students who attend PWIs. 2. To understand the role that institutions play in enhancing student learning and integration for First-Generation African-American students. 3. To learn ways to create inclusive programs and initiatives on college campuses. 4. To share strategies and solutions participants find effective for the success of First-Generation African-American students.

Panel Discussion Outline Overview on current trends leading to student achievement Attrition rates Graduation / degree completion Discussion: Engaging First- Generation African- American Students Student Involvement & Engagement Barriers @ PWIs (Climate, Culture, Connection) Successes, challenges, and next steps Closing remarks and Q&A

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