UConn to open African-American housing

Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus

Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus Photo: Brian A. Pounds, Connecticut Post Photo: Brian A. Pounds, Connecticut Post Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close UConn to open African-American housing 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

As Black History month commences, the University of Connecticut has made a controversial move.

The school is introducing housing for African-American males at its Storrs campus within NextGen Hall, a housing community of more than 700 students participating in eight "Learning Communities."

The ScHOLA²RS House, which stands for "Scholastic House Of Leaders who are African-American Researchers & Scholars," is an initiative started by Dr. Erik Hines, whose research centers on African American male academic achievement.

Opening in the fall, it will be part of one floor of the seven-floor NextGen Hall, and it will house 43 male students, primarily studying the STEM fields.

According to its website, "UConn ScHOLA²RS House is a scholastic initiative to groom, nurture, and train the next generation of leaders to address grand challenges in society through the promotion of academic success in undergraduate programs at the University of Connecticut and in competitive graduate programs."

Those interested in the topic of African-American males in higher education are welcome to apply. "Male students who will be freshmen or sophomores in the next academic year and who identify as African American/Black or mixed-race will be prioritized in selection," according to the website.

University spokeswoman, Stephanie Reitz, said 13 students have already expressed interest.

The site states that the reason behind the housing initiative is to combat the low retention and graduation rate of black males.

"In response to the research on black male success in college, we have developed a grant-funded program to intentionally provide a supportive community of engagement for students using the successful Learning Community model which provides enrichment programs for undergraduate students on campus."

UConn's student paper, The Daily Campus, reported that some students on campus are uncomfortable with the idea.

"I was not pleased, my immediate thought was 'What?'" Haddiyyah Ali, a fourth-semester Africana studies and political science major told the paper. "I know there had to be a lot of research that went into it...but just for me coming from a student perspective, my initial thought was what about black women and girls – what about us?"

Reitz said of the student reactions, that she is glad to hear what they have to say. If one group of students, like black females, feels like they should have a learning community, the school wants to know. They have not focused on black females because unlike black males, females are graduating at a high rate.

Reitz said backlash, including nasty comments on Twitter and angry phone calls to her office, has been "disheartening." She feels people are misunderstanding the reason behind the idea.

"We know it's not issue of whether African-American males have the capability to excel in school; rather, it is their environment that sometimes inhibits their potential," Reitz said.

This is not UConn's first learning community with a focus on a specific race or gender, Reitz said. La Comunidad is a learning community that caters to students of Hispanic or Latin heritage and WiMSE is a housing community for women in math, science and engineering.

The ScHOLA²RS House will host cultural discussions on how the residents can find support in each other and in mentors.

"A lot of it will be about comradery," Reitz said. "It's not much different from a fraternity or a sorority."

UConn received a $300,000 grant for the initiative last spring. Other Learning Communities in the NextGen building will include: EcoHouse, Engineering House, Eurotech House, STEM Honors House, Innovation House and Public Health House.

The site makes a point of assuring students that those who apply to live in the ScHOLA²RS House will not be segregated from the rest of campus.

*Note: An earlier version of this article stated the dorm is open exclusively to black students. Students of all races are welcome to apply. The article has been updated to reflect that.