Dr. Monique Greene, an Associate Professor of Counseling at Riverside City College (RCC), observed that students are “struggling with a sense of belonging and are not being connected to resources that would benefit them.” Dr. Greene and a team at RCC dug a little deeper into the
retention and success data to try to understand what impact that might be having on students. They found that men of color were impacted most severely in those areas. Using the findings as an opportunity to “dream big,” the team researched high-impact practices that could be embedded into first-year courses to help improve the retention and success of students, specifically men of color. These efforts led Dr. Greene to spearhead what has become a two-year community of practice and learning community effort focused on better supporting men of color at RCC.