The lived experiences of African American lesbians who attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have not received sufficient empirical attention; therefore, this study was conducted to understand and describe their experiences. The study followed a qualitative phenomenological approach. The multidimensional identity model, developed by Reyolds and Pope, was used as the framework through which to understand the participants' experiences. Semistructured, 40 to 60-minute interviews were conducted with 6 women who identified as African American lesbians and attended HBCUs. Initial hand and subsequent NVivo coding of interview data led to the development of the following 7 themes: (a) either African American women or African American lesbian, (b) fear of rejection, (c) chosen kin, (d) no benefit of being an African American lesbian at an HBCU, (e) love for the African American community, (f) women who love women, and (g) the road not taken. The findings suggest African American lesbians often shift between identities, depending on the situation or setting. The results of the study provide suggestions for counselors and counselor educators who will be able to increase their understanding of the unique needs of individuals who identify with at least 3 marginalized communities. African American lesbians who attend HBCUs may benefit from this inquiry as HBCUs can use the information in this study to help create and sustain a more inclusive campus environment. Additional implications for social change and future research are included at the end of the study.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the adjustment experiences of African American graduates of historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) attending graduate school at a Southern predominantly White university (PWU). A discussion of narratives and themes across participants provided information about the adjustment experiences of African American graduate students who transitioned from a university community where the student population was predominantly African American to one where African American students were the minority. This information can be utilized by both PWUs and HBCUs to develop resources that address issues related to adjustment for African American graduate students. This study was phenomenological by design and focused on analyzing the adjustment experiences of 11 female African American graduate students attending a Southern PWU. Participants were between the ages of 22-28, graduated from 10 different HBCUs across 8 states, represented 8 different graduate majors and had been in graduate school an average of 3.5 semesters. Research methodology included participant interviews, demographic questionnaires and investigator field notes. Collected data were analyzed using a coding iteration strategy. Descriptions of participant experiences were documented and ten prominent themes emerged from the data: support systems, negative emotionality, distrust, academic frustration, lack of African American presence, non-cohesive African American community, racial microaggressions, prior acquaintances and resilience. / Ph. D.

Employee engagement in the mission of the organization is a critical component of success. In fact, it strongly contributes to the workers’ satisfaction levels and motivation. Moreover, it forms the atmosphere in the organizations. Therefore, employee engagement is a critical concept met not only in management but also in sociology and psychology. Focusing on the human factor, the current research is aimed at examining the factors affecting historically black colleges and universities’ (HBCU) staff engagement. The research question for the study is, are employees who have favorable views of their career development opportunities more likely to be engaged than other employees? Three research hypotheses were defined accordingly to answer the research question. The quantitative approach was helpful in determining the areas that were interrelated. The interviews with 20 members of an HBCU staff were conducted online. With the chosen methods and statistical analysis, the evidence proved that career development opportunities increased the level of employee engagement at HBCUs. The results did not show any significant correlation between the employees’ engagement and communications. The perception of the organizational change was not an essential contribution to employees’ devotion. Thus, it is evident that the improvements in career management and planning could become effective to increase the satisfaction of employees with their work organization. The study was limited, as it relied on the results from only one university. It did not reveal the meaningful correlation between engagement and communications. However, the answers of the participants showed that the process of information distribution, planning, explaining, and executing organizational changes at HBCU are important. Therefore, it is highly recommended to investigate the same variables in different contexts and expand the research to be able to generalize the data. Paying attention to different positions and experience of the workers can also influence the results relying on the interviews conducted with more people.

Historically Black colleges and university managers lack sufficient understanding of customer-relationship management strategies to create high enrollment rates leading to increased financial stability. The focus of this qualitative single case study was to explore customer-relationship management strategies managers use to improve financial performance from historically Black colleges and universities located within the state of Georgia with a student enrollment that exceeds 2,000 students. The conceptual framework for this study was the general system theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and employee handbooks. The data analysis consisted of compiling the data, disassembling the data into common codes, reassembling the data into themes, interpreting the meaning, and reporting the themes. The use of member checking and methodological triangulation increased the trustworthiness of the study. Themes that emerged were efficiencies with technology, student retention, and financial performance. Using up to date and effective technology including customer relationship management, and creating strategies to focus on student retention can help educational organizations improve their financial performance. The potential for social change includes the opportunity to increase the graduation and student retention rates to provide more opportunities for local business leaders and enhance the economic sustainability of local communities.

Many U.S. colleges and universities have created programs to improve retention and graduation rates of Black male students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the lived experiences of Black male learning community participants and discover what faculty and staff perceive to be major influences on the retention of this population. The conceptual framework was rooted in Tinto's student integration model and Swail's geometric model of student persistence and achievement. The research questions within this study examined what faculty/staff perceive to be a major influence on the retention of minority male learning community participants. The questions also examined the perceptions of black male learning community participants regarding the major influence on their decision to remain at the selected institution after their first year. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 2 faculty, 2 staff, and 6 student learning community participants, and examination of national and local records. Data coding and analysis revealed 5 themes: college selection, college perception, learning community experience, Black male retention, and Black male mentorship. Findings indicated that most learning community participants returned to the institution based on faculty/staff support and a brotherhood bond with their peers. Faculty and staff reported that the institution could retain more minority male students if faculty/staff engagement with students and male mentorship beyond the learning community were increased. The project included a professional development program on effective minority male mentoring strategies for faculty/staff at the selected institution. This project may bring a new perspective on the idea of minority male retention while providing university officials with qualitative data to increase retention.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face the 21st century with questions about change and adaptation to an increasingly science and technology oriented society. They face the challenge of finding a strategy by which they can utilize current resources and energy to maximize their science and technology development. Using a mixed methods research design, this study conducted an analysis of science and technology at HBCUs. The primary objective was to determine what theories (when implemented they are termed strategies) account for the development of science and technology at successful research oriented HBCUs. This was accomplished through a secondary objective – to assess productivity outputs at HBCUs using various science and technology indices. The results and findings can be summarized by stating that the selection of strategy is dependent on the maturity of the HBCU’s science and technology program. An HBCU that is seeking to initiate a science and technology program should pursue a strategy of federal or state policy supportive of introductory efforts. HBCUs with established science and technology programs that are seeking growth strategies should look toward collaborations and partnerships for the purposes of forming networks and clusters. The formation of joint ventures, partnerships, and networks will further develop their science and technology programs. Leadership is a sustaining factor that enhances the effectiveness of both policy and linkages.

This proposed study will explore how university racial composition impacts the relationship between cultural mistrust, campus comfort, and help-seeking attitudes in a sample of African American college students. A moderated hierarchical regression will be conducted to determine if the cultural and contextual variables predict a significant amount of variance in help-seeking attitudes, and to discover if the variables’ interaction with university type significantly increased the amount of explained variance. The results will demonstrate how one’s comfort in the university environment and degree of trust in the majority group can contribute to seeking psychological services. Counseling and university policy implications will be delineated from the results. Limitations will also be discussed. / text

Every year universities across the United States administer the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) to assess their students’ general health based on nine topic areas (i.e. sleep, nutrition, mental health, drug use, sexual behavior, etc.) in relation to their impact on academics. Overall, there is low participation among minority-serving institutions, more specifically Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The lack of participation among these universities may be for several reasons, such as financial constraints on the university or the use their own instruments to assess their students’ health and wellness needs. Further, they may not see a need for the NCHA. Most universities use data analyzed from the NCHA to tailor their wellness programs to their students’ specific needs. This foundational research study utilized a case study design to explore the capacity of one HBCU to provide wellness programs and services to their students and to assess how the wellness needs of current students are identified and met. The secondary purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of health administrators and students regarding their schools’ wellness programs and services as well as to identify the strengths and gaps in services provided. One-on-one interviews with university staff and administrators, student focus groups, and document analysis were used to collect data. Case analysis was performed to generate research themes to answer the research questions. Six themes were created to answer the corresponding research questions. Conclusions from this study may provide insight into how this university developed and implemented wellness related programs and services to meet the wellness needs of its students.

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