The experiences of Black graduate alumni, 1962-2003, at a major Southern Research University were examined in a comprehensive survey. The areas explored were: relationships with faculty, students, and the institution. The experiences of Black graduate alumni, 1962-2003, at a major Southern Research I University were examined in a comprehensive quantitative study. The areas explored were: relationships with faculty, students, and the institution. This study was conducted in an effort to explore the experiences of Blacks and to provide an accurate and first hand account of the Black graduate student experiences. The research questions guiding this study were: To what extent did Black graduate students experience social support during their studies? What types of social problems did Black graduate students experience during their studies? The data reported in herein only addresses the research question on social experiences. The study revealed that the social experiences of Black graduate students are different from those of White graduate students.

The research on Black mega-churches has been limited at best. To date, little is known about theological teachings of Black mega-churches. Other primary characteristics of Black mega-churches are even less understood, e.g., how these institutions promote their theological teachings online. Consequently, in this study, Black mega-church websites constitute a data source for examining links between theological teachings and community needs. Specifically, this qualitative study of Internet-mediated research examines the websites of 12 Black mega-churches via content analyses of sermons and information regarding various outreach programs found on their web pages. Results indicate four broad theological themes: honoring the Holy Spirit, heavenly minded, Biblical principles, and social legacy. The findings reveal that these themes were related to the social outreach efforts of the 12 Black mega-churches. Research implications for future studies of Black mega-churches are discussed.

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Human resource development (HRD) as a scholarly endeavor and as a practice is often criticized in the adult education (AE) literature and by AE scholars as manipulative and oppressive and, through training and other interventions, controlling workers for strictly economic ends (Baptiste, 2001; Cunningham, 2004; Schied, 2001; Welton, 1995). The reasons for this disapproving perspective are numerous and include HRD's primary conceptual foundations as being performative and based on human capital theory that tends to situate humans within the rubric of expendable resources. Additional support for this critique comes from an assumption that HRD as a whole is embedded within a rational/functional paradigm that tends to support ‘any means to profit’ over democratic treatment of people in the workplace. Similarly, although less vocal and antagonistic, HRD scholars have been critical of AE's ‘academic’ and ‘theoretical’ elitism versus the pragmatic and socially responsive practice of AE.

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