Blackhawk Joins the National Consortium on College Men of Color

Blackhawk held the Dream Chasers Summit in April 2024 in the Conference Center on Central Campus. The event, held as an opportunity for male students of color from different schools to be inspired and motivated, was held in partnership with Men of Color, Honor & Ambition (M.O.C.H.A.), Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA), and Student Government Association (SGA).

Blackhawk Technical College has joined the National Consortium on College Men of Color (NCCMC) to further its commitment to improving the success of historically underrepresented students.

The NCCMC is an initiative of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab in partnership with the Lumina Foundation that offers a collaborative environment where community colleges nationwide can share best practices and learn from one another.

As a member of the NCCMC, Blackhawk will benefit from assessment tools to evaluate existing programs and the opportunity to develop new initiatives tailored to the needs of men of color enrolled at the college. Through monthly professional development webinars, survey resources and an annual working group meeting, NCCMC members work together to enhance the success of male students of color.

Two Blackhawk academic advisors, Linda Fair and Xanthe Kuhn, will lead the efforts for the college.

"We are thrilled to join the National Consortium on College Men of Color. This partnership reflects Blackhawk Technical College's unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for our students. By collaborating with the NCCMC, we can share best practices and develop tailored initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by men of color in higher education. Our goal is to ensure that every student, regardless of their background, has the resources and support they need to succeed,” Fair said.

In addition to NCCMC membership, Blackhawk continues to work to cultivate an on-campus culture of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility through several programs and initiatives, including the BEAM program that features outreach, support and services to help close equity gaps, the college’s annual Dream Chasers Summit for high school students of color, and the Minority Excellence Organization.