Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2001

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Administration

Major Professor

Jeff Aper

Committee Members

Norma Mertz, Robert Cunningham, David Tilley

Abstract

This study examined the experiences of twenty-four African American students who persisted towards graduation at small, predominantly white colleges in the Appalachian region of the United States. Past studies have focused on persistence of African American students at large, public universities. This study attempted to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on small liberal arts colleges.

The purpose was threefold: (1) to describe the experiences of African American students who persisted at small colleges, (2) to describe what administrators, at these institutions, said their college did to contribute to student persistence, and (3) to compare administrator and student perceptions of student experience. The focus of this study was on students who persisted towards graduation as opposed to a retention-based study that may have examined factors leading to student departure.

A qualitative approach guided the study, as semi-structured, open-ended interviews were the primary data source. This approach enabled readers to clearly understand, through detailed descriptive data, what the experience was like for a minority at a small, predominantly white institution. Phenomenological. inquiry guided data analysis, which allowed the researcher to know what people experience and how they interpret the world.

From the completed analysis, many themes emerged. Faculty influence was the number one persistence factor for students in this study. Involvement in campus activities, family support, positive attitude, and peer influence were also significant.

Second, African American students at small, predominantly white colleges are, by definition, in the minority. However, among females and non-athletes, the issue of being a minority was magnified for some students in this study, as they were a 'minority within a minority.' Third, the idea of 'resilience' as a persistence factor was suggested because of the data collected. Resilience was simply defined as sheer determination and ability to press forward amid difficult circumstances. Fourth, the need for an African American role model for students was also suggested.

Many other themes of student experience and persistence were described along with significant findings. Data from administrator interviews was compared to student interviews. The culmination of analysis resulted in suggestions for institutional policy and practice.

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