US Commission of Civil Rights lash out at ‘race-separated’ UConn dorm
ScHOLA²RS House promotes academic achievements of ‘male students who identify as African American/Black’
Two members of the US Commission of Civil Rights raised their concerns about UConn’s plan to build a new dorm on campus. They believe the dorm was established to promote racial separation of African-American male students.
Gail Heriot and Peter Kiransow said: “We cannot understand how race-separate ‘learning communities’ help achieve its ideals of ‘meaningful diversity’ or prepare students to work in a racially diverse marketplace. If the University of Connecticut is correct that meaningful interaction among students of different races improves the quality of education for all, it should not be in the business of promoting racially separate learning communities.”
They further addressed the fact that ways to promote academic achievements of male African American/Black students could be done in ways other than creating a separate dorm. Although any male undergraduate student enrolled in UConn is permitted to apply to the program, many concerns arose in regards to the topic of segregation.
UConn has been undergoing a major addition to the Storrs campus with its addition of ScHOLA²RS House. Located directly behind the Sherman Family Sports Complex, the STEM building has been involved in renovations to create the new learning community on campus.
ScHOLA²RS, also known as The Scholastic House Of Leaders who are African American Researchers & Scholars, is the target group for whom these new dorms are being made. This group, is one of over twenty learning communities that UConn has to offer. Created by Erik Hines, an assistant professor at UConn Neag School of Education Counseling Program, the group promotes academic achievements of, “male students who identify as African American/Black through academic and social/emotional support, access to research opportunities, and professional development”.
As described on the website for the ScHOLA²RS learning community, “Nationally, as well as at the University of Connecticut, the retention and graduation rate of black males is significantly lower than that of other demographic groups.” Therefore, the goal of this additional dorm on campus is to increase the graduation rate and promote academic achievement for male students who identify with the group.
Despite the comments from two members of the commission, UConn will continue with the plan to build this new learning community on the Storrs campus.