Limestone's Real Men Lead Program Enters First Full Academic Year

Limestone University’s new Real Men Lead Program is gearing up for its first full academic year on campus.

Real Men Lead looks to create an environment that is focused on the needs of Black American men in a university setting in order to close the well-established academic achievement gap between Black men and their peers, especially those who are first-generation college students and come from low-income families.

The new program’s doors technically opened in late March, and though that left little time to get connected to faculty and students, Director Dr. William Ross understands the importance of those first few months on campus.

“I’m excited,” Ross said. “We met with some of the upperclassmen before they left for the summer, and they were able to give us a good foundational kick-off.”

The Real Men Lead Program is being made possible by a $1.25 million federal grant Limestone received last year in recognition of its status as a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI). PBI grants were first authorized in Congress in 2007 and incorporated into the re-authorization of the High Education Act in 2008.

“Including our On-campus and Online program students, the Limestone undergraduate student body resembles South Carolina high school seniors, so our overall demographics met the federal definitions to qualify for the grant,” said University President Dr. Darrell Parker. “We are extremely excited about what the Real Mean Lead program will do to enable us to assist our students.”

The Leadership Academy is one major part of the program that will be functional this academic year. Through the Academy, Real Men Lead hopes to develop its participants into peer mentors or, for those who excel academically, supplemental instructors to help the students who are struggling with crucial introductory courses.

Ross, who spent more than 10 years as an administrator within the Cherokee County School District, said he hopes to use those connections within both the county and the larger Upstate area to bring in local professionals to advise him, while also serving as mentors for students within the Leadership Academy.

He and Academic Coordinator Carlos Parker have been in communication with Limestone faculty and staff on campus as well, especially the athletic department’s coaching staff members who already have established connections with many students living on campus.

“We are working with our coaching staffs and making sure that we take that holistic approach where we are talking to each other and are meeting periodically,” Ross said. “The coaches can make referrals for those who they feel would benefit from our services.”

Two other projects funded by the grant are the Summer Bridge Experience and the Living-Learning Community. Ross and Parker estimate both will be ready to implement by 2024, though they did express some hope they can have a scaled-down version of the Summer Bridge Experience prepared by next year.

Limestone’s Summer Bridge Experience will be different than some of the other bridge programs throughout the state, which typically serve as an avenue for students to transition into a larger university after meeting certain requirements. Participants of Real Men Lead will have already been accepted into Limestone without conditions. Therefore, the Summer Bridge Experience will not offer for-credit courses, but rather provide informative workshops and events the week before the general student population moves onto campus.

“That will give students two weeks of acclimation on campus and to the town of Gaffney,” Carolos Parker explained. “It’s almost like another orientation.” 

There are also plans to have as many of the Real Men Lead participants as possible housed in a single residence hall or central location in order to create a Living-Learning Community where program resources can be more easily accessed. It will not be a requirement for participants who wish to live elsewhere, but the potential benefits that come from a close-knit, academically-oriented community are what Real Men Lead want to pursue.

“Everything we want to do is supported by research,” Ross said. “And the research talks very convincingly about how students who are housed in close proximity, students who are in the Living-Learning Communities as we call them, benefit from the various measures of support offered.”

Ross and Parker both expressed the main goal for the program is not just the recruitment of Black men to Limestone University, but in making sure they have the resources to increase their chances of remaining on campus, thriving in the classroom, and eventually graduating. That’s where Real Men Lead comes in.

“There's a need to see men like themselves on campus,” Carlos Parker noted. “When you see someone who looks like you, it raises morale. You know you can go to them.”

Ross said that he wants the program’s alumni to be able to create a strong resume, to give a good interview, and turn a degree into income. But he also wants the alumni to carry the skills they learned through mentoring, being involved in campus and program life, and understanding what it is to have a sense of belonging and family.

Still in its early stages, the Real Men Lead program is growing and marking a space out for itself on the Limestone campus. The current grant is only for five years, but Ross expressed interest in applying for additional grants in the future to allow the program to grow and expand its reach and abilities. Overall, though, Ross says they will continue to look at the research, apply it to University’s strategic plans, and see what they are able to accomplish for the Black American men in their program and Limestone as a whole.

“Our program will evolve as we go,” he said. “As we grow and we move out more and more research and data to the faculty, there will come a time where all Limestone students will benefit.”