Men, most notably African-American men, rarely seek assistance when faced with the challenges of succeeding in college.  This dynamic has been evident in student services initiatives for years.  The majority of participants are normally women.  To complicate this problem, our college’s minority men have persisted at a rate ten percent lower than other ethnic groups and have graduated at a rate one third of their student counterparts.

The purpose of Visions, Durham Tech’s minority male leadership initiative, is to provide opportunities for men who do not have the academic skills to be successful in college, the monetary resources to be financially stable, the presence of a positive role model to help develop leadership potential, and an encouraging and positive social network to promote success. 

Durham Tech, like many community colleges, has piloted several student support programs in addition to the traditional services we provide.  These programs have had limited success primarily due to the difficulty in attracting at-risk, first generation, or first-time enrolled students to take advantage of programs that are not required for an academic course of study.

Despite this dynamic, Visions has succeeded.  The initiative provides a multi-faceted student engagement model that encourages the participation of minority men.  Visions attracts men by providing intrusive academic advising in a weekly group discussion format, fostering the artistic development of talented students through a jazz ensemble, offering financial support through scholarships and job placement services, tutoring kids at a local elementary school, and expanding academic opportunities by visiting local universities.

The “VISIONS” initiative is just one of many important student service components of the Advising, Counseling and Student Development Department at Durham Tech that supports the instructional mission of the college by fostering the academic success and personal growth of minority male students.

Our aim is to plan, and implement student development activities for students throughout the year to help facilitate learning, promote a greater understanding of campus resources, foster positive relationships with faculty and staff, and provide social opportunities to connect students together.

• Full support from our Administration, Faculty and Staff;
• Weekly business meetings;
• Small group and peer-to-peer mentoring support;
• Early Alert Program  (Identifying at risk behavior);
• Financial Assistance (Scholarships and Tuition Assistance; scholastic and/or need based);
• Dedicated meeting space for participants to interact (Student Activities Room);
• Academic Support:  One on One tutoring (Campus Learning Center);
• ACA-111 Class (First Year/New Student Campus Orientation);
• Jobs on Campus;
• Help find part-time employment and internships (On campus and off-campus);
• Leadership Discussions, Social and Cultural Activities, Business and Dining Ettique Workshops;
• Career Planning and Counseling;
• Required Reading (The Pact: Three Young Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream, Drs. Sampson, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt with Lisa Fazier Page);
• Guest Speakers – (We explore career opportunities, campus resources, etc.);
• Jazz Ensemble;
• Community Service Projects; and
• College Tours.

Read about Visions at Durham Public Schools Kitchen Table Discussion
Fill out an application. The application may be filled out online then print, sign, and deliver it to the address indicated on the application.