Model for Engagement of Black Students Attending

Predominantly White Institutions

HIED 556: Students in Higher EducationThe Pennsylvania State University

December 14, 2009Edward J. SmithJordan S. West

Overview

1. Review of the literature2. Importance of chosen outcome3. Presentation of model4. Explanation of model components5. Applying model to students6. Use of model 7. Limitations8. Questions

Input: Black Students

Environment: Higher Education

Outcome: Engagement

Review of Literature

• “student engagement…is the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other educationally purposeful activities” (Harper & Quaye, 2009, p. 3)

• “the impact of college is largely determined by individual effort and involvement in academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings on a campus” (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602)

• “educationally purposeful engagement produces gains, benefits, and outcomes in the following domains: cognitive and intellectual skill development, college adjustment; moral and ethical development; practical competence and skills transferability; the accrual of social capital; psychological development, productive racial and gender identity formation, and positive images of self” (Harper & Quaye, 2009, p. 3)

Review of Literature (cont’d.)• “…Individuals' and particular groups' perceptions of the environment

are not inconsequential or intangible, but have tangible and real effects on the transition to college and on educational outcomes” (Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen & Allen, 1999, p. 2)

• “…Feelings of social and cultural marginalization make it more difficult for first-year racial/ethnic minority students to find comfort within most PWIs, which negatively affects their engagement, persistence, and development” (Harper & Quaye, 2009, p. 181)

• “…different levels of engagement and learning gains are the “chilly climate” faced by African-American students at PWI’s, and that institutional services and programs do not reflect the interests of African-American students” (Seifert, Drummond, & Pascarella, 2006, p. 187)

• “the average African American senior at an HBCU reported significantly higher levels of engagement and gains in overall development than did the average African American senior at a PWI” (Laird, Bridges, Morelon-Quainoo, Williams, & Holmes, 2007, p. 47)

Review of Literature (cont’d.)

• “not only did men recognize racism as a major stressor at a PWI, but they also discussed their internal struggle with acting “too White” or “too Black,” an issue that, unlike their peers at HBCU’s, they admittedly face every day” (Watkins, Green, Goodson, Guidry, & Stanley, 2007, p. 111)

• “students at HBC’s experienced greater student-faculty contact, received more feedback on their class performance, and reported a learning environment with a more scholarly and intellectual emphasis than their peers at research universities” (Seifert, et al., 2006, p. 195)

• “Students have talked about the fact that they were the only Black person in a classroom, and they noticed the low numbers of minority professors they encountered on campus” (Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007, p. 514)

Review of Literature (cont’d.)

• “non-Black,” involve themselves in events so that they could serve as a positive example of Blacks, and prove that they were smart so that people would not think they were accepted…because of affirmative action” (Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007, p. 514)

• “Student involvement research overwhelmingly supports the view that student involvement positively influences moral development, cognitive development, and vocational aspirations for college students” (Flowers, 2004, p. 634)

• “Students come to college with a variety of high school academic experiences, exposure to college information, and family socioeconomic and educational influences, all of which help shape expectations and attitudes of what it is like to be an enrolled college student” (Cole et al., 2009, p. 55)

Review of Literature (cont’d.)

• “Institutional characteristics and culture can affect levels of out-of-class engagement, especially for racial/ethnic minority students. More often than not, the campus culture at PWIs does not reflection the cultural backgrounds of racial/ethnic minority students. Many first-year racial/ethnic minority students find that an institution’s diversity claims are exaggerated and its goals for multiculturalism are unreasonably high” (Harper & Quaye, 2009, p. 182)

• “Probably one of the biggest hurdles for racial/ethnic minority students at PWIs, and closely related to campus climate and culture, is the overwhelming Whiteness that engulfs these students when they first come to campus” (Harper & Quaye, 2009, p. 184)

Importance of Outcome

Model for Black Student Engagement Attending Predominantly White Institutions

Precollege• High School

Preparation

College

• Social Integration

• Academic Integration

External Factors

• Demographics• Mental, physical,

and emotional well being

Model Components

• Precollege– High school preparation

• College– Academic integration– Social integration

• External factors– Demographics–Mental, physical, and emotional

wellbeing

Applying Model to Students

Use of Model

• Student affairs practitioners– “One Black experience”– Programming efforts– Institutional commitment – Advocacy and support– Diversity frameworks– Financial Aid

Limitations

• Variety of Black students• Misuse of model• Lack of knowledge from research by

practitioners