abstract: Black male students experience a number of issues related to identity during the persistence process, which have potential to deter them from graduating. Some of these issues include feeling isolated and lack of access to resources due to their ethnic and/or racial identities. Recent statistics indicate that though there is an increase in college enrollment for Black students, the graduation rate is disproportionate to their enrollment. Using critical race theory, co-cultural theory, and communication theory of identity, this study investigated the role of identity in the persistence of Black male students’ graduation rates. Specifically, the central question was ‘What role, if any, do identity processes play in Black male students' decisions to continue or depart from a Predominantly White Institution?’ In order to answer this question, fifteen first-generation Black male college students were interviewed in order to understand the specific experiences that impacted them in relation to graduation. The study sample included a subset of Black male athletes who were found to have distinct differences in college experiences based solely on their athlete status. The overall results indicate that Black male students have expectations of the persistence process and that their personal identity also plays a significant role in the persistence process. In order to maintain their identities and continue with coursework, Black males enacted persistence strategies that were consistent with an overall goal of graduating. Research findings suggest that Black males must maintain a strong personal identity in order to maintain their personal commitment to graduation and college institutions can support them in this endeavor. Research outcomes also suggest that Black males should have a plan of persistence upon entering college, which is constantly reinforced as a graduation motivator. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2015

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The purpose of this case study was to explore the challenges African American students face when adjusting to predominantly White institutions and to review these institutions' diversity policies to determine whether the institutions are aligned with African American students' needs. The study was based on critical race theory to examine whether and how racial microaggressions influence racial tension at the predominantly White institutions selected for this study. The research questions were used to gauge (a) the level of comfort among African American students attending one of these predominantly White institutions, (b) their overall satisfaction with their decisions to attend the institution, and (c) whether an active diversity policy could be found at that institution. Qualitative data were collected from a sample of 107 African American students attending 1 of the 6 predominantly White institutions selected for this study. Descriptive statistics of cross-sectional survey data, along with the diversity policy within each institution, were employed to measure (a) the mean and standard deviation of participants' satisfaction with the environment their campus provided, (b) the decision to attend their institution, and (c) the awareness of their institution's diversity policy. The chi-square test was conducted to test student awareness of the diversity policy and their satisfaction with the organization of the policy. The results from this test were significant (p < .01), showing that the participants were aware of their institution's diversity policy and the protection it provides. Through effective policy changes, predominantly White institutions can positively affect graduation and retention rates among African American students and provide a greater opportunity to promote positive social change.

This qualitative study describes the experiences of Black undergraduate women who are involved in a Black student organization at a public predominantly White institution (PWI) beyond the freshman year. Understanding how these students are involved, the meaning they make of their participation, and how they simultaneously manage extracurricular activities, and their academic responsibilities is essential to providing Black women with support that will help reduce barriers to persistence. Questions about their level of involvement provide insight into how these students perceive their participation in student organizations. The following research questions are aligned with the theoretical suggestions made within Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement and Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought: How do Black undergraduate women describe their experience as members of a Black student organization on a predominantly White campus?, How do Black undergraduate women make meaning of their extracurricular involvement in a Black student organization on a predominantly White campus, How do Black undergraduate women simultaneously manage their extracurricular involvement and academic responsibilities while trying to reduce barriers to college retention, What perception do Black undergraduate women have regarding the role extracurricular involvement in a Black student organization plays in their persistence and academic outcomes? For this study, I utilized three tenants from Black Feminist Thought Framework (Collins, 2000) in collaboration with the Student Involvement Theory (Astin, 1984) to provide a critical lens during the investigation of Black undergraduate women who are involved in a Black student organization. The emerging themes from the study indicated the importance of Black student organizations on white campuses and the type of experiences Black undergraduate women have as members of such groups. Staff members indicated a lack of university services and support in retaining and assisting these students. The emerging themes of the study are creating culturally relevant experiences, taking on leadership roles, strategies to manage academic and extracurricular activities, Benefits of Involvement, controlling narratives and definitions. Findings from this dissertation study have the potential to contribute to the literature on Black undergraduate women and their experiences in culturally relevant student organizations. / Educational Administration

While Black women have etched a place for themselves as leaders within colleges and universities, few have advanced to the most senior levels of postsecondary administration and they remain underrepresented in those type of roles (Gamble & Turner, 2015; Jackson & Harris, 2007; West, 2015). Scholarly research has explored Black women’s experiences as institutional leaders (Davis & Maldonado, 2015; Smith & Crawford, 2007; Waring, 2003); yet the phenomenon of executive-level higher education administration, specifically as it relates to Black women’s perspectives, is not well known (Enke, 2014; Jean-Marie, Williams, & Sherman, 2009). Moreover, research that directs attention to Black women’s unique leadership experiences as executive-level leaders within a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) is scarce (Gamble & Turner, 2015; Mosley, 1980; West, 2015). This transcendental phenomenological study examined the perceptions of Black women’s leadership experiences in their roles as executive-level higher education administrators at a PWI and strategies they used to cope with their experiences. Black Feminist Theory, which centers the narratives of Black women and explores how intersecting oppressions impact their everyday lives, was used to frame the study. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and a review of relevant documents were used to collect the voices of four Black women executive-level leaders. Data collected were analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological method of analysis and synthesized to reveal an essence of the experience of an executive-level higher education administrator at a PWI from the Black woman’s vantage point. Results indicated the meaning ascribed to the experience of being an executive-level higher education administrator were rooted in: Knowing Who You Are, Developing as a Leader, Engaging in the Rules of the Game, Building Relationships, and Navigating Bias and Conflict. Further, Finding Strength through Spirituality, Relying on Family and Friends, Pursuing Enjoyable Activities emerged as strategies used to manage the phenomenon. This study offers a unique view into Black women’s lived experiences and their perspective on leading at a PWI as an executive-level higher education administrator. Findings contribute to building transformative change at colleges and universities by providing insight and knowledge about the experiences of Black women in higher education administration.

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