Urban Male Initiative (UMI)

About UMI

UMI Mantra

New Perspective: New Direction, Re-Aligning Stars & Developing Leaders through Education & Servant Leadership.

This unique program serves all male students of Community College of Denver (CCD) by recognizing the unique challenges you face as an urban male. Through UMI, CCD works to develop you as leaders, who are ethically disciplined, morally wise, and intellectually capable.

Eligibility

Men who are enrolled at CCD are eligible to participate in the Urban Male Initiative. It's that simple!

Services

To reach the program goals, UMI assists you with the following comprehensive services.

  • UMI supplies academic success planning and educational planning assistance through mentoring.
  • UMI connects you with resources on campus geared toward retention, persistence, and inclusion.
  • UMI involves you with an on-campus support system, or brotherhood, and teaches valuable networking skills.
  • UMI gives you additional opportunities to actively engage in your community through servant leadership.
  • UMI monitors you through graduation with mentoring, referrals to resources and additional support.

Each Year, UMI Members Show Active Participation in Various Campus Events

  • Health Awareness
  • Culturally Relevant Campus Activities
  • Community Service Projects
  • Campus-Wide Resource Fairs

Foundation & Leadership Development

Since its inception in 2011, UMI has taken on a “See-a-Need, Fill-a-Need Approach.”

Through UMI, we are redefining the meaning of leadership; it’s not about attaining the highest title or position, but about investing in your own intellectual capital, building meaningful relationships, and attaining skills, such as compassion, civility, integrity, and listening.

Developed by Dr. Robert Franklin at Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, The “5 Wells” are key components to the UMI leadership development model. Through the “5 Wells,” UMI members are empowered to develop as leaders who embrace servant leadership and have a keen sense of what it means to be a well-versed, well-rounded leader. Much of the UMI programming is designed to expound upon these tenets.

  • Well-Dressed: Leaders present themselves in a respectful manner.
  • Well-Spoken: Leaders mean what they say and they say what they mean.
  • Well-Read: Leaders are well-read.
  • Well-Traveled: Leaders go to places to open their eyes to the communities throughout the world.
  • Well-Balanced: Leaders are well-balanced and well-rounded.

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
UMI is listed in the American Association of Community Colleges’ Minority Male Student Success Database. The purpose of this database is to provide information about programs nationwide and the objective is to improve the success of minority male students at our nation’s community colleges.

First Step

Please contact Jermaine Gunnells, the UMI academic advisor, at 303.352.3090 to schedule an appointment or stop by the Academic Advising and Student Success Center, located in the Cherry Creek Building, room 141.