LMU Program Helps African-American Students Close Graduation Gap

The graduation rate of African-American college students in the United States has traditionally been much lower than that of Caucasian students, but an innovative program at Loyola Marymount University is helping 40 new freshmen beat the odds.

The Learning Community (TLC) at LMU assists students — many of whom are the first in their families to attend college — successfully make the transition from high school by providing academic support, teaching study skills and time management, promoting social engagement and leadership development. The program begins three weeks before the start of the fall semester when students move into the dormitories and continues through their LMU careers.

TLC was one of a number of programs that lead The Education Trust to identify LMU as among the most successful universities in the nation at reducing the graduation rate disparity between African-American students and their white counterparts.  Nationally in 2010, the graduation rate for African-American students was 20 percent lower than that of Caucasian students. During that same period, the graduation rate gap for black students at LMU was only slightly more than one percent.

TLC received a $50,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation as part of its commitment to strengthening communities through the advancement of education.
[Loyola Marymount University]