The University College Center and the Freshman Year Experience
The University College Center and the Freshman Year Experience

Author: Carla Anne Garrett

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze activities, perceptions, and behaviors associated with the university college program at a historically Black University which contribute to a successful freshman year experience. The sample under investigation consisted of 15 students who attended Prairie View A & M University. The selection of students was based on the students' current and prior affiliation with the University College program. The study participants were specifically chosen to include freshmen students who were enrolled in the University College at the time of the study and sophomore and junior level students who had been previously enrolled in the University College program during their freshman year. The study was conducted during fall 2002 and during the months of March and April, 2003. Data collection was conducted in the following manner: (1) one-on-one interviews with study participants were conducted in order to obtain data about student perceptions; (2) study environment observations were conducted with passive, moderate and active submergence techniques in order to watch and record the activities within the study environment; (3) historical data were collected in order to provide background information about the research environment. A major finding of this study is in keeping with retention theory which posits that institutions must formulate student centered programs that focus on meeting the students' academic and social needs as early as the summer prior to the freshman year. There were a variety of factors within the University College environment that influenced student success and development. While there were many elements that were put in place by Prairie View A & M University with the intent of encouraging and promoting student success, there were underlying personal factors that the students imposed upon the system that played an integral role in influencing the students' perceptions and outcomes.

Noncognitive Variables Predicting Academic Success and Persistence for African-American Freshmen Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities Versus African-American Freshmen Attending Predominantly White Institutions
Noncognitive Variables Predicting Academic Success and Persistence for African-American Freshmen Attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities Versus African-American Freshmen Attending Predominantly White Institutions

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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Limited research is available when attempting to determine what, if any, differences exist in predicting academic success and persistence for African-American students attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU) versus a predominantly White institution (PWI). Tracey and Sedlacek's (1984) noncognitive variables have accurately predicted academic success and persistence for African-American students. However, in this study, the majority of the noncognitive variables as measured by the NCQ did not differ significantly between the PWI (n=58) and the HBCU (n=538). The interaction term of Positive Self-Concept and institution type did differ for academic success and was more significant at the PWI than the HBCU. Similarly, Knowledge Acquired in a Field and Successful Leadership Positions differed for college persistence between the two institution types and was more significant at the PWI than the HBCU. Although the majority of noncognitive variables did not assist in determining the second semester GPA or enrollment status of African-American students at either a PWI or a HBCU, past research has clearly demonstrated that the significance of noncognitive variables differs from semester to semester. Therefore, a more comprehensive longitudinal study examining multiple PWIs and HBCUs is needed to fully understand what, if any, differences there are in the way noncognitive or psychosocial variables predict academic success and persistence at a PWI versus a HBCU.

The Source of the River
The Source of the River

Author: Douglas S. Massey

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2011-06-27

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1400840767

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African Americans and Latinos earn lower grades and drop out of college more often than whites or Asians. Yet thirty years after deliberate minority recruitment efforts began, we still don't know why. In The Shape of the River, William Bowen and Derek Bok documented the benefits of affirmative action for minority students, their communities, and the nation at large. But they also found that too many failed to achieve academic success. In The Source of the River, Douglas Massey and his colleagues investigate the roots of minority underperformance in selective colleges and universities. They explain how such factors as neighborhood, family, peer group, and early schooling influence the academic performance of students from differing racial and ethnic origins and differing social classes. Drawing on a major new source of data--the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen--the authors undertake a comprehensive analysis of the diverse pathways by which whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians enter American higher education. Theirs is the first study to document the different characteristics that students bring to campus and to trace out the influence of these differences on later academic performance. They show that black and Latino students do not enter college disadvantaged by a lack of self-esteem. In fact, overconfidence is more common than low self-confidence among some minority students. Despite this, minority students are adversely affected by racist stereotypes of intellectual inferiority. Although academic preparation is the strongest predictor of college performance, shortfalls in academic preparation are themselves largely a matter of socioeconomic disadvantage and racial segregation. Presenting important new findings, The Source of the River documents the ongoing power of race to shape the life chances of America's young people, even among the most talented and able.

Success Factors of Young African-American Males at a Historically Black College
Success Factors of Young African-American Males at a Historically Black College

Author: Marilyn Ross

Publisher: Praeger

Published: 1998-03-30

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0897895355

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At a time when American society is desperately seeking to create hope for inner city black youth, this study serves as a tool to encourage those responsible for teaching and socializing young African-American males, who may feel they have little chance for success. The study involved 17 African-American male students at a historically black college in Miami, Florida. These students had great desire to achieve and did so despite daunting obstacles such as neighborhoods plagued with drugs, gangs, and crime. Interviewing students at the moment in their lives when they had successfully advanced beyond their environment, the author helps them to analyze their past in an honest manner. The case studies of the individuals reveal that family is the most relevant factor in the student's success; particularly, the presence of one person who cares and encourages the young man is vital. In President Clinton's speech to the NAACP in July 1997, he remarked, I am tired of being told that children cannot succeed because of the difficulties of their circumstances. All we do is consign them to staying in the same circumstances. It is wrong. Through the stories of these students who have overcome their odds, this book can serve as an inspiration for younger African-American males to prevail over their own hardships.

Student Success and Geography
Student Success and Geography

Author: LaMarcus D. Howard

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13:

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The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationship between academic and nonacademic determinants of academic achievement and persistence and to identify how university geographic location influences the likelihood of Black male persistence. Quantitative data was drawn from the 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longitudinal Study (BPS: 12/14) conducted by the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES)to explore third-year academic achievement and persistence for Black males. This study identified two research questions, guided by the theoretical frameworks of Tinto’s student institutional departure model and Astin’s Input-Environment-Outputmodel to assess Black male decisions to stay or leave college. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the means and percentages for all independent and dependent variables included in this analysis. Additionally, a multiple regression was used to predict the relationship between academic and non-academic determinants of academic achievement for Black males. Furthermore, a binomial logistic regression was used to predict the probability that university geographic location influences the likelihood of Black male persistence.The findings from this study indicated that when controlling for academic achievement (third-year), high school GPA had a positive effect on Black male third-year persistence, while financial aid (federal and private student loans) had a negative effect on Black male GPA their third year of college. Additionally, this study indicated that geographic location did not influence the likelihood of third-year persistence. In fact, the findings in this study demonstrated that having a job on campus during the first year of college positively influenced Black male third-year persistence.