Event Title

Black Male Retention in Higher Education: Strategies and Programming That Works

Location

Student Union 300H

Type of Presentation

50 minute presentation

Audience Type

High school students, High school teachers or counselors, College students, College teachers or advisors, High school parents, College parents, Other

Description

Although efforts to deal with high attrition among Black male undergraduates, have improved, a crisis continues to persist. Despite increased admissions for Black male students in predominantly White institutions (PWIs), Black men only comprise a fraction of the total number of students who are admitted to PWIs. PWIs continue to account for low percentages of college degrees attained by Black male students nationally. Surprisingly, Black men remain under-represented in PWIs and suffer from alarmingly high rates of attrition.

The qualitative approach was employed. One-on-one interviews were conducted via telephone and SKYPE. The participants were upper level administrators and faculty members who work(ed) with/or administered the services of Black Male retention programs at 10 predominantly White bachelor degree granting institutions in the U.S. A convenience sample was used through identification and location of existing retention programs for Black males who attend PWI’s across our nation.

The purpose of the research was to investigate the nature and evidence of effectiveness of strategies employed by PWI’s to retain Black male students, as well as the challenges to successful implementation of such retention programs. The secondary purpose explored to what degree these strategies and programs were based on or exemplified factors and theories of action posited by researchers and scholars as effective in decreasing Black male attrition. The extent to which undergirding programmatic philosophies were “assets” based or “deficit” based was explored.

Findings revealed that programs designed to increase Black Male Retention were effective in reducing attrition and creating positive learning outcomes at PWIs.

KEY TERMS: Black Males, retention, graduation, successful programs/ strategies, Predominantly White Institutions.

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Black Male Retention in Higher Education: Strategies and Programming That Works

Student Union 300H

Although efforts to deal with high attrition among Black male undergraduates, have improved, a crisis continues to persist. Despite increased admissions for Black male students in predominantly White institutions (PWIs), Black men only comprise a fraction of the total number of students who are admitted to PWIs. PWIs continue to account for low percentages of college degrees attained by Black male students nationally. Surprisingly, Black men remain under-represented in PWIs and suffer from alarmingly high rates of attrition.

The qualitative approach was employed. One-on-one interviews were conducted via telephone and SKYPE. The participants were upper level administrators and faculty members who work(ed) with/or administered the services of Black Male retention programs at 10 predominantly White bachelor degree granting institutions in the U.S. A convenience sample was used through identification and location of existing retention programs for Black males who attend PWI’s across our nation.

The purpose of the research was to investigate the nature and evidence of effectiveness of strategies employed by PWI’s to retain Black male students, as well as the challenges to successful implementation of such retention programs. The secondary purpose explored to what degree these strategies and programs were based on or exemplified factors and theories of action posited by researchers and scholars as effective in decreasing Black male attrition. The extent to which undergirding programmatic philosophies were “assets” based or “deficit” based was explored.

Findings revealed that programs designed to increase Black Male Retention were effective in reducing attrition and creating positive learning outcomes at PWIs.

KEY TERMS: Black Males, retention, graduation, successful programs/ strategies, Predominantly White Institutions.