Factors Contributing to the Persistence of African American and Hispanic Undergraduate Males Enrolled at Regional Predominately White Institution

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore factors that may contribute to the persistence and graduation rates of African American and Hispanic undergraduate males enrolled at regional fouryear public universities in Texas. African American and Hispanic males have lower graduation rates in both secondary and post-secondary education than their White peers (Harper, 2010; Swail, Cabrera, Lee, & Williams, 2013

Latina English learners’ sense of belonging in STEM undergraduate programs at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and non-HSIs: An intersectional view.

“…This finding is consistent with what S. L. Rodriguez and Blaney (2021) found regarding Latina students utilizing their participation in identity-based groups as a protective factor in shaping their sense of belonging at Predominantly White Institutions. Diversifying friend groups and social connections could help Latinx students build confidence in navigating STEM and university campuses (Hall, 2017), which in turn could impact their persistence and retention in STEM.…”

Social, Cultural, and Economic Determinants of Well-Being

“…Historically, many racial and/or ethnic minorities have experienced trauma and oppression as a result of colonization and/or enslavement. Racialized individuals encounter numerous opportunities to experience discrimination, oppression, trauma, poverty, and stress due to structural inequality [41][42][43][44]. Historical trauma has been identified as a factor affecting oppressed groups' overall physical and psychological health [45,46].…”

Finding a place for us: improving the social connectedness and sense of belonging for Black students at a predominately White institution (PWI)

“…While institutions are successfully enrolling Black students, not enough attention is placed on the development and enhancing of retention efforts (Luciano-Wong & Crowe, 2019). While campuses are becoming more diverse, critical obstacles serve as barriers to Black student retention, especially for Black/African American males; this is critical as future career success is often dependent on earning higher education credentials (Hall, 2017;Knox, 2023). Overwhelmingly, the lack of support, engagement, and involvement combined with feelings of isolation, the lack of peer and mentor networks of support, and unwelcoming and exclusive campus climates are the primary reason the majority of Black students leave institutions before the second year (Black & Bimper, 2020;Morrow & Ackerman, 2012).…”

“…Another set of important support systems that also impacts retention and persistence are the development of networks for intentional interactions and connections with other diverse student populations, and consistent, intentional, ongoing engagement and involvement with campus activities (Flowers, 2003;Hall, 2017;Harper, 2006;Luciano-Wong & Crowe, 2019;Morrow & Ackerman, 2012;Strayhorn 2008a) as well as mentoring and personal relationships with faculty and staff (Cokley et al, 2023;Johnson et al, 2014;McClain & Perry, 2017). Strayhorn (2015) further develops this idea by presenting the need for cultural navigators, someone who has knowledge and experience and is a part of the existing culture, who helps students navigate campus life.…”

“…The findings from Cycle 1 indicated a perceived lack of institutional commitment to develop targeted programs and initiatives to support Black student needs with few existing curricular and co-curricular services and resources available, and it also revealed that campus resources and support systems/services were hard to find or that students did not know that they existed. The BOND program, developed from Cycle 1 findings, fostered a unique community that developed into a supportive and understanding environment with shared interests and ongoing engagement and involvement with activities (Hall, 2017;Luciano-Wong & Crowe, 2019;Morrow & Ackerman, 2012), along with mentoring and personal relationships with faculty and staff of color that addressed their specific interests and needs (Cokley et al, 2023;Johnson et al, 2014;McClain & Perry, 2017;Tinto, 2017). Participants shared that the BOND experience was powerful transitional support and engagement program where they felt connected with each other with a common purpose, were valued for who they authentically were, and that the institution seemed to care about their well-being and sense of belonging.…”