PCC a Leader in Awarding Associate Degrees to African-Americans

WINTERVILLE�Preliminary data recently released by the U.S. Department of Education�s National Center for Education Statistics shows Pitt Community College is among the country�s best colleges and universities when it comes to providing education to African-American students.

According to the statistics, Pitt ranked 68th in the number of associate degrees awarded to African-Americans during the 2007-08 academic year. The ranking was 20 spots higher than last year, when PCC ranked 88th after awarding 180 associate degrees to African-American students in 2006-07.

This year�s report showed PCC conferred 202 degrees across all disciplines to African-Americans in 2007-08, a 12 percent increase from the year before. The total, which was comprised of 54 males and 148 females, represented 29 percent of all graduates from the college that year.

"Student access and completion are strategic goals of Pitt Community College, and this good news underscores our progress,� said PCC President G. Dennis Massey. �Our male minority mentoring program will increase these numbers even more in the years ahead."

In March 2008, PCC launched the Next Level Minority Male Mentoring Program to help minority males on campus excel academically, personally and professionally. Andre Gregory coordinates Pitt�s Next Level efforts, which include services participants need to succeed at PCC � everything from peer tutoring to career shadowing.

Among North Carolina�s 58 community colleges, Pitt was third in the Department of Education rankings. The college was behind only Fayetteville Technical Community College (42nd) and Charlotte�s Central Piedmont Community College (65th) in the Tar Heel State.

Other North Carolina community colleges appearing in the Top 100 were Guilford Technical Community College at 76th and Wake Technical Community College at 95th.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the analysis was restricted to accredited, Title IV-eligible institutions located in the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., which excluded institutions from U.S. territories and U.S. military service schools.

Miami Dade College, a four-year institution in Florida, led the Top 100 rankings with 1,341 associate degrees awarded to African-American students. Close behind was the University of Phoenix-Online Campus, which awarded 1,314 associate degrees to African-Americans in 2007-08.

06/08/2009