Recommendations

The recommendations in this report aim at getting African American students at IUPUI interested in interdisciplinary research. The recommendations are based on a synthetic analysis of both digital research that was done by the team and the local study.

Providing a “home” at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) to all African American students.

Hold spaces and lounges where Black students can come together and be around each other.
Have a Black therapist on staff for students of color to talk to in the designated space.

Continuing one-on-one mentoring for students in Olaniyan Scholars Program

Match students and mentors by personality and emotional needs
Sub recommendation 2

Build Relationships between African American Students and Professors

Help black students enroll with black IUPUI faculty
Provide networking and support opportunities for African American faculty that encourage partnerships with Olaniyan Scholars Program and Olaniyan Scholars

Building Partnerships and recruiting African American high school seniors.

Current 3rd year Olaniyan Scholars would be required to engage with African American high school students once in a year in a program organized event at the high school either during or after school.
Olaniyan could survey African American high school students at the high schools where they have partnerships to understand the general need of the students as they get ready to go to college.
The program could also advertise itself to the parents and families of students.

Giving 3rd and 4th year scholars an incentive over 1st and 2nd year scholars to promote retention in the program

This can be implemented 2-3 years from now so that current 1st and 2nd year scholars don’t lose any funding, and so that the new scholars coming into the program in the fall also don’t lose funding.
Use the $2,000 stipend that is already in the Olaniyan budget to redistribute monetary incentives without having to exhaust the current funds available in the program.

Establishing Skills Workshops for all Olaniyan Scholars

The workshops teach transferable skills that employers are looking for, and that students can put on their resumes.
Olaniyan can specialize each workshop according to the subject the student wants to pursue as an industry venture, like computer science, healthcare, business, the arts, etc.
Students could be paired with a professional in the desired industry as a mentor