International Student-Athletes' Academic, Athletic, and Social Experiences at a Historically Black University in America

Status Report on HBCU Athletics: Participation, Finances, and Student Experiences

“…Are the academic and educational experiences of non-Black HBCU student-athletes similar to the experiences of Black student-athletes? An exploratory case-study examining the experiences of six international studentathletes at HBCUs provides a preliminary look at some of these questions (Sato, Hodge, & Burge-Hall, 2011), but we believe that each of these would be valuable areas for more robust inquiry -both quantitative and qualitative -in the coming years.…”

Experiences of International Student-Athletes at a Historically Black University

“…The athletic, academic, and social experiences of international studentathletes are often distinctive and unique, particularly for those matriculating at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States (U.S.) of America (Sato, Hodge, & Burge-Hall, 2011). The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as institutions of higher education established before 1964 whose principal mission was then, and remains today, the education of Black Americans (Hodge, 2015;Wilson, 2007).…”

“…International student-athletes at times find it difficult to meet academic standards or follow the guidelines established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to enter college (Connell, 2007), or they may struggle to maintain certain grade point average (GPA) levels regulated by the NCAA to maintain athletic eligibility as a collegiate athlete (NCAA, 2007). These student-athletes may become worried about possibly losing their athletic scholarships; which in-turn, would lead to possible separation from their athletic teams or even the institution (Sato et al, 2011). The challenges for student-athletes who have international status occur in the salient areas of academic performance, social adjustment, and institutional factors which may contribute to negative experiences including exclusion or racism (Sato et al, 2011).…”

“…These student-athletes may become worried about possibly losing their athletic scholarships; which in-turn, would lead to possible separation from their athletic teams or even the institution (Sato et al, 2011). The challenges for student-athletes who have international status occur in the salient areas of academic performance, social adjustment, and institutional factors which may contribute to negative experiences including exclusion or racism (Sato et al, 2011). Sato et al (2011) analyzed the academic, athletic, and social experiences of international student-athletes from Brazil, Serbia, South Korea, and the Philippines who were members of athletic teams at a HBCU in the U.S.…”

“…The challenges for student-athletes who have international status occur in the salient areas of academic performance, social adjustment, and institutional factors which may contribute to negative experiences including exclusion or racism (Sato et al, 2011). Sato et al (2011) analyzed the academic, athletic, and social experiences of international student-athletes from Brazil, Serbia, South Korea, and the Philippines who were members of athletic teams at a HBCU in the U.S. The international student-athletes believed language differences led to academic, athletic, and social difficulties.…”