Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 345-362). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

During a time when most institutions of higher education are in search of underrepresented student participation, Georgia State University (GSU), a majority White institution, has observed a lack of involvement of White students in co-curricular activities. The purpose of the research study was to critically examine White students’ (dis) engagement in traditional student organizations at this university that has a significant student of color population. I used case study methodology that allowed for a breadth of conceptual frameworks and research options. The methods of collecting data included interviews (formal, informal, and oral history) of current and former students, as well as campus administrators. In addition, the use of archived texts and photographs, yearbooks, organization rosters, and university enrollment statistics allowed for crystallization of data, layered interpretations, and document analyses. I used the data sources to interpret GSU White students’ perceptions of campus climate, racial interactions, leadership among students of color, and racial identity that influence their (dis) engagement in traditional student organizations and campus life. In exploring the “rhetoric of diversity,” I argue that the experiences and attitudes of White students can inform the policy debate on institutional mission and offerings.

In 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by Minneapolis Police. As social media and news outlets reported on Floyd's death, racial justice activists began to organize under the Black Lives Matter movement. The United States was also on lockdown due to the global pandemic – COVID-19. Prior researchers have noted that the lockdown was consequential to the sustained longevity of peaceful protests. Additionally, researchers have concluded that this time saw a heightened number of college students from diverse racial backgrounds. This study examines what explicitly motivated Black and White college students to act on racial justice and engage with these movements. More importantly, this study included 11 participants to inquire about what motivated White racial justice activism and to explore Black students' perceptions of these actions from their White peers. This research used an interpretative phenomenological to analyze interviews and a facilitated Social Justice Dialogue circle on racial justice. Despite the lack of research on racial justice activism amongst White students, understanding theories such as Intersectionality and Critical Race is paramount in being aware of countering anti-Blackness. Ultimately, this study produced five findings explaining how Black and White college participants described their perceptions of White racial justice activism and how race socialization contributed to this interpretation. Findings show that White participants possessing marginalized identities interpreted this as Intersectionality and showed more empathy in engaging with racial justice activism while also expressing uncertainty about self-identifying with this advocacy status. Additionally, participants revealed that social media contributed to inauthentic and performative activism post-Floyd's death by using black squares by White content creators lacking a fundamental understanding of anti-Blackness and the Black Lives Matter movement. Participants looked more profound into how society has socialized Whiteness as the normative identity and manifested guilt, fear, and fragility when discussing racialized topics. Lastly, participants revealed that the divisive socio-political climate during the Trump administration significantly contributed to furthering structural racism. At the same time, the global pandemic provided an environment of racial reckoning within the United States. Broader implications for practice and theory are offered to guide recommendations for future research on racial justice activists. / Educational Leadership

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-28).

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The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the socioeconomic factors of parent education level and family income on the academic achievement of students of Hispanic and white ethnicities. Scaled scores from the 2009 administration of the California Standards Tests in English language arts and mathematics and matched demographic information for 18,000 second through fifth grade students from six school districts in the San Joaquin Valley constituted the data source for this study. Multiple regressions were the primary statistical test used to analyze the data. The results showed a statistically significant gap in achievement between Hispanic and white students. After correcting for socioeconomic status and students of limited English proficiency, a residual achievement gap of roughly 0.1 of a standard deviation remained between white and Hispanic students. Further analysis showed no gap at low socioeconomic levels and a widening discrepancy in scores with increasing family income and parental education levels. These results may be indicative of differential expectations for white and Hispanic students. Additional testing for the effects of school-wide variables found a small negative impact on student achievement for schools with high average parental education levels, possibly caused by stronger interventions at schools with low average parental education.

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