Black Student Success Center now open at College of the Desert

Students can expect to find academic resources, networking opportunities and community at the new Black Students Success Center.

Advisor, Dr. Mzilikazi Koné, shares, "Of course, resources are always central and fundamentally important. But beyond that is the creation of community. And that's what we do, is try to build community for our students, build connections, friendships that hopefully last a lifetime."

The BSSC started as an online resource for students at the start of the pandemic, and now has a permanent location on the Palm Desert campus.

On top of academic growth and networking opportunities, the BSSC organizes and attends several events. In February they attended a Black History parade in Palms Springs, along with organizing a soul food celebration and a Black 365 Knowledge Bowl.

Their head advisor, Dr. Jermaine Cathcart, shared the mission of the center, "The main goal of the Black Student Success Center is to promote black positivity, to develop leadership among our students, to increase graduation raters and transfer rates for our African American students on this campus, and to create a welcoming environment where our black students feel appreciated and valued."

Members of the BSSC are encouraged to maintain a 2.5 GPA, attend two meetings a semester, and see a counselor once a semester.

Dr. Cathcart shares how he helps students meet those requirements, "And if you don't have a 2.5 GPA, well, we're here to make sure that you get your GPA up so we don't turn anybody away. We just want to make sure that if you don't have your GPA at the right level, that you're here, you're getting the support that you need, and that we get it up to about a 2.5 GPA."

In the past year, four members of the Black Student Success program have been granted more than $25,000 in scholarship funds.

Advisors for the Black Student Success program are looking to partner with professionals in the area that are interested in mentoring students. If you are interested you can email Head Advisor, Jermaine Cathcart jcathcart@collegeofthedesert.edu

The BSSC is open every Thursday from 12 to 5 p.m. and is located in the Palm Desert Campus in room 112, next to Beep's Cafe.