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Pasadena's African American students get a boost from Ujima program
Pasadena College responds to declining black student population
When Pasadena City College took a long hard look at its student ethnicity a few years ago, faculty and administrators were alarmed to see just how drastically enrollment of African American students had declined.
While African American students comprise 30 percent of the feeder school districts, only 7 percent of the students at the community college were black.
 Donna Mungen carries on a spirited discussion in her English class at Pasadena College.
"It really was shocking," said Pasadena City College (PCC) counselor Jackie Dodds said. "We are located in such a diverse community, yet our African American students weren't here."
The college found that the proportion of African American students had declined 18 percent in the past 16 years. Furthermore, African-American students who had stayed at college had a lower rate of success in the school, and those who were there, were having trouble completing the requirements to transfer to a four-year college.
PFE grant awarded
Recognizing something had to be done, Dodds wrote a state Partnership For Excellence grant for funds to begin a one-year transfer program at the school that would be modeled after the successful Puente college programs that focus on Latino students.
 Student Chebet Wise moved back from Georgia to join the Ujima Program. The program has given her guidance and direction.
The result is the Ujima Program - a Swahili word for "collective work and responsibility" and it is providing needed support to help African American students work together to get ahead.
"We focus on the student who was average in high school, but may have shown leadership qualities. We bring them in here and provide classes in math and English, a counselor, mandatory tutoring and enrichment activities," explained Donna Mungen, who teaches the basic skills English class to the Ujima students.
Lively classroom discussions
In her English composition classes, Mungen centers on work by African American authors, but the lively classroom discussions she conducts relate to students in a variety of ways. In one recent class session, students discussed everything from men and women's roles at home and in the workplace, to what choices they might have had if they had been slaves.
 Mungen examines work by student Chad Hunter
A journalist who has written for the New York Times, USA Today and other publications, Mungen taught initially as an adjunct faculty before being hired a year ago as a full-time instructor. Although there are aspects of her former career as a reporter she misses, she noted, "I feel like I'm making a contribution here. I was really appalled at the breakdown between the college and the public schools. We really have to do better than that."
Now in its second year, Ujima has 29 students currently participating, most of them recent high school graduates who were recruited in their senior year by a PCC counselor.
"These kids come with issues, but they are nice kids," Mungen said. She prefers to work with students out of high school as opposed to older students who may have other problems.
"Our students are from working-class families whose parents want them to go to college, but don't always know what to do to get them there. We help them do that. That's our goal."
In addition to attending class, Ujima students are required to attend tutoring sessions where they partner up with another student. Jackie Dodds, who provides support counseling to the students, also often attends the English class to observe how everyone is doing.
Ujima students also participate in outside activities. Mungen's students, for example, have attended a production of "The Lion King," toured the Ronald Reagan Library in nearby Ventura, and have even served meals to the homeless as part of a volunteer effort.
Students in the program not only appreciate the academic classes and the tutoring, but the camaraderie and intangible lessons the program has to offer.
"Ujima has been helpful. It's given me guidance, more than anything," said Chebet Wise, who moved back to Pasadena from Georgia when her brother called her to tell her about the program. "I really feel it has helped me grow as a person."
Without being coddled, the students are learning how to become more directed students.
"The tutoring is there to make sure you do well, but the whole program really keeps you on your toes. I'm learning that it is not going to be easy at a four-year university," said Naisha Oliphant, who eventually plans to transfer to the University of Southern California.
Stepping stone
"It's a stepping stone where we can take off and find our path," said Chad Hunter. At the time he graduated from high school, Hunter said he wasn't sure whether he wanted to go to college, but after attending a session at John Muir High School, he made his decision. The outreach counselor was not only able to recruit Hunter for the program, he helped him enroll in a summer program at UCLA that further prepared him for the rigors of college. Hunter now plans to transfer to UC Berkeley after he completes Pasadena.
Ujima is one of several programs that provide support to students of color at Pasadena, and more are in the pipeline. Although it is still new, it has received the backing of the college's administration.
"We need to do anything we can to get students to succeed," said Amy Ulmer, division dean of English and Foreign Language. I would love to see the program expand - although we'll have to see where the money is going to come from."
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