Luis Ponjuan, associate professor in the department of educational administration and human resource development at Texas A&M University and Victor Saenz, an associate professor of education at the University of Texas at Austin are teaming up for a new study to determine why there is a growing gender gap in educational attainment, particularly for Blacks and Hispanics. Armed with grants from the TG Foundation and the Greater Texas Foundation, the two scholars will conduct a study to examine how two- and four-year Texas higher education institutions are developing initiatives to address this educational crisis and to see which initiatives are having the most success.
Dr. Poujan states, “This gap between what will be needed in our educated workforce and where we are currently as a nation is severe. The largest group of people not attending postsecondary institutions are males – and of this group, the vast majority of those not attending are Hispanic and African-American.”
Dr. Suarez adds, “There is something happening to our males that is leading them to underestimate the importance of completing an education. The long-term implications are yet to be determined. We need to explore what we are doing as a higher education system to encourage more males to go to college – with a particular interest in minority males.”
