This report is in response to the President’s Charge to the Task Force on African American/African/Black Student Success at Portland State University. As included in the charge, the report assesses the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for PSU in continuing to serve the African American/African/Black community at PSU. In conducting its work, the Task Force reviewed a variety of reports and databases from various offices at PSU. Based on its findings, the Task Force provides recommendations under five main areas:
1) Student recruitment and retention
2) Student Experiences
3) Courses and Programming
4) Faculty and Staff at PSU
5) Best Practices

The recommendations of the Task Force provide specific recommendations on those areas that reflect the institution’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. The Task Force’s recommendations will provide guidance to the President, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, the university leadership team, and all PSU faculty and staff for engaging with and serving Oregon’s and PSU’s diverse and growing African American/African/Black community as also outlined in the President’s Charge. It is in the spirit of collaborative work that the recommendations will assist PSU in its attempts to address student, faculty, staff, and community concerns regarding the educational needs of its African American/African/Black students. Relatedly, the committee has included information on African American/African/Black staff and faculty in its report to provide a context for its recommendations regarding students.