25 Tips to Help Close the Gap at CCBC (from the CCBC Closing the Gap Committee)

• Greet African American students on campus with a welcoming presence that shows respect for all students
• Mentor an African American student
• Read a Title III book at your campus library about meeting the needs of diverse learners
• Join a campus or division discussion group on closing the gap
• Join the cyber-discussion group on closing the gap
• Recommend the Student Success Center, SDEV 101, or the STARS mentoring program to an African American student who is at risk
• Start a scholarship fund on your campus for African American students
• Conduct an audit of your area or division to determine how friendly it is to minority students
• Advocate for hiring qualified minority faculty, administrators, or staff
• Attend a cultural event on your campus geared toward African American students
• Cite African American contributors to your field or profession
• Notice when African American students are not connecting with you and change your approach accordingly
• Engage all students in conversations about their lives and learn something about their backgrounds
• Volunteer to speak about your department at an orientation for minority students
• Participate in the early alert system
• Teach in a diversity learning community
• Become a Master Learner in a learning community
• Vary your instructional style to address the needs of all learners
• Show respect for minority students' language patterns while teaching Standard English
• Require students to attend cultural events that expand their worldviews
• Discuss issues related to racism in class, using guidelines for safe discussions
• Have high expectations for all learners
• Volunteer to teach a section using culturally-mediated instruction
• Rewrite curricular materials to appeal to many cultures
• Reflect on your own process of developing your racial identity