The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived environmental factors which characterize the institutional climate of a community college that attracted increasingly large black enrollments. Forty-six black students and 12 college administrators were interviewed. The College and University Environment Scales Opinionnaire (CUES) was administered to 53 black students. A demographic data form was used to collect student data. Naturalistic, qualitative methods were used to analyze interview data; the 66+/33$-$ method was used to analyze CUES data. / A conceptual framework combining sociotechnical systems theory and themes from the literature on positive environmental stimuli for black student support led to the study's research questions. / Students were mainly attracted by individual attention from caring, accessible instructors, low tuition, small class size, academic support program climate, academic advisement, and the nursing program's professional credibility. As measured by CUES, the dominant feature of the climate was Propriety. Significantly different perceptions were found on all scales based on age, sex, enrollment status, class load, and work load. The Quality of Teaching and Faculty Student Relationships scale measured the highest congruence among all subgroups. / Administrators largely attributed the attraction to: an institutional commitment to equity; positive articulation with the two nearby universities; opening an outreach center and dual enrollment center in nearby county; academic support programs; counseling and recruitment efforts; changes in the structure and human elements; top leadership philosophy; and communication of a clear value orientation. They identified interventions across all subsystems of the sociotechnical model as initiatives contributing to the attraction of black students. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-12, Section: A, page: 3866. / Major Professor: David Leslie. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78125 |
| Contributors | Thompkins, Abigail Elmina., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 258 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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