Introduction The purpose of this study was to answer several questions. Do members in the target group feel their intersecting qualities affect their college progress/performance? If so, how and why? Are the categories in which they are placed and/or identify give them a positive or negative outlook in college? Does the lack of representation in their major of choice impact their drive to succeed? What is the relationship between the target group and college persistence, retention, degree completion, and time in which the degrees were completed? If unique challenges were faced, what were they? And what can be done to close ethnic and racial achievement gaps in the future? This study investigated these issues carefully by conducting …show more content…
Forty-five percent of participants said yes, they felt excluded in college because of their ethnicity, 28% of participants said they felt excluded due to socioeconomic status, and 20% of participants said they felt excluded due to gender. Only 13% percent of participants felt excluded due to socioeconomic status, ethnicity and gender combined. According to the online survey, participants felt ethnicity was the primarily reason for exclusion in higher education. However, according to the phone interviews, participants felt finances were the main hindrance to college access and progression. The findings indicate that aside from STEM fields, gender was a factor that did not significantly impact or hinder college access or progression. In the phone interviews, four women expressed the difficulty they faced in science courses and shared how the lack of institutional support in form of advisement, office hours, tutoring, were not sufficient in helping them successfully pass their courses. The results from the study align with works mentioned in the literature review. The study by Bielby et al. (2014) revealed institutional prejudice against women pursing STEM fields in the admission process and bias towards women pursing STEM …show more content…
For some participants, the lack of representation actually fueled their desire to succeed by proving others wrong and being a trendsetter. Several participants were first, second, or third-generation college students. However, participants strongly suggested more representation could inspire others to pursue a postsecondary education. It could also encourage more women of color to lead by example through mentorship opportunities and leadership roles. Several participants felt the lack of mentors and guidance from their predecessors and parents left them feeling adrift. When asked if they felt prepared for college their freshman year of college, 45% of participants selected no on the online survey. In addition, 73% stated their parents did not prepare them for college and about 47% of participants shared their high schools did not prepare them for college. These findings echo the findings of Jacob and Ludwin (2008), who express how the lack of preparation will make it more like for students to fall behind, especially those in underserved school districts. They also align with Bryant’s (2015) findings, which state Black students “are far less likely to be ready for college, with those in high-poverty schools being the least prepared” (p. 1). As mentioned previously, his data also shows Hispanic/Latino, Black/African
Some college students might try to be more inclusive of others outside their own racial group by interacting across racial/ethnic lines. Humphrey’s states that although “students today do sometimes choose to live, socialize, or study together with similar backgrounds.” (575, Hoeffner and Hoeffner) however, she believes self-segregation does not appear to be widespread.
Cokley, Kevin. "The Impact of College Racial Composition on African American Students' Academic Self-Concept: A Replication and Extension." Journal of Negro Education 71.4 (2002): 288-96. JSTOR. Web.
While overall college enrollment and graduation rates have risen for all minority groups, there continues to be concerns for this segment of the population, particularly for African American students. Even though there have been significant increases in enrollment and graduation figures over the past several decades, issues concerning retention persist. About 30 percent of African Americans who enroll in college drop out prior to degree completion (Rye, 2009). This is further documented by Museus (2011) who reports that less than one-half of minority students who begin college at a 4-year institution achieve a degree within 6 years. This is significant since college retention has been linked with both self-efficacy and future academic success (Brittain, Sy, & Stokes, 2009).
Long ago, receiving education was once something only the rich could afford; it was a luxury. Nowadays it is open to everyone, but many students enter college only to discover that they are underprepared, and in turn they become disenchanted. David Leonhardt’s article, The College Dropout Boom, addresses the issues that are apparent in the education system and how it contributes to the gap between the upper and lower class while Access to Attainment by Abby Miller, Katherine Valle, Jennifer Engle, and Michelle Cooper calls to improve access to college education for today’s students. This is incredibly important because many students either drop out or never attended college and in today’s time, having a Bachelor’s degree has become a requirement
African- American males have been underrepresented among college students and degree earners for years, however the reason for this is often misconstrued. The percentages of white high school graduates “In 1998-2000 had jumped to 46. However, only 40 percent of African-Americans and 34 percent of Hispanics in the same age group were attending college” (McGlynn, Angela Proviteira). The question then to pose, is why minority students are not succeeding in college compared to Caucasian students, “Only 47% of Black male students graduated on time
In my community, El Sereno, college is viewed as an option as opposed to it being the next step in life. Most people in my area either begin working or start a family after they graduate from high school. Not always by choice, but in some cases by circumstance. Students in my neighborhood either lack the knowledge, financial support, guidance or even legal status that would otherwise drive them to apply or even go to college. About eighty-percent of students graduated from my high school, but only about twenty-percent ended up attending a four-year university (NINCHE). One of the biggest reasons for student’s low college entrance rate has to deal with their family's socioeconomic
In 2001 statistics reported by the United States Department of Education indicated that during 1997-1998 African American students received 8.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Concurrently, Hispanic students as well as Asian or Pacific Islander students received 6.0%, while American Indian/Alaskan Native students only accounted for .7%. Although statistics from agencies who report differ, clearly on a national level, minority students
And finally, colleges and universities have to be inclusive of varied student subpopulations. They need to determine and address the special needs of groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, women, athletes, Greeks, students of different ages, and gay and lesbian students.
Statistics show that black students are less likely to earn college degrees (Guiffrida & Douthit 2010). Black students are less likely to graduate than Whites at PWIs and may have a lower GPA. At first, many people wrote this off as them not being prepared academically. However, there are many other factors that influence their success at college that stems away from just the academics. Interaction with faculty, family, friends, and other peers in the Black community all contribute to their experience and success at college. The relationship with faculty is key component when looking at their success at school. Previous studies noted that Black students have a difficult time making connections with White faculty members, because they are concerned about the stereotypes the professors may have about them. However, through proper education, awareness, and truly listening to students’ experiences and concerns, this can change and White faculty members can serve as mentors to students of color. Faculty members need to keep an open mind and be aware of their own biases. Having a strong support system at home also contributes to Black students’ successes and retention rates. Family provides emotional, academic, and sometimes financial support. Participation in affinity groups also help Blacks integrate into the campus community. This provides them resources where they can share their experiences, connect
One of the possible research topics I plan to undertake involves analyzing the impact that mentoring can have on the graduation success rate of African American males, particularly when the mentor is a Black male and the relationship takes place in the south. In my opinion, these relationships can have a profound impact on a student’s ability to persist towards graduating from college. Though my research, I want to hear the stories of Black males who have benefited from successful mentoring relationships with other Black men. I believe that establishing a strong mentoring relationship with Black males at a young age can greatly improve their chance of academic success. Furthermore, I believe that mentoring is a strong early intervention mechanism to prevent Black males from dropping out of high school and deterring them from pursuing degrees in higher education. At the same time, I would like my research interest to focus on African American males in the south, but I would like my scope to focus on mentoring relationships between black men; both structured and unstructured.
Most first generation college students are significantly older than the average, approximately 24 year of age (Pascarella et. al 2004). The surrounding low-income environments that many of these students are raised around can explain this late age. This financial pressure can also explain another category of first generation students, preparation (Chen & Carroll, 2005). These students are often less prepared to enter the college life. They have not been exposed to the necessary preparation needed to succeed on college admissions tests and furthermore don’t meet the performance requirements that universities and institutions require. Analyzing the prefaces that surround the environment of first generation college students aids in understanding current problems faced in college as well as assist in proposing solutions for this subset of
Annotated Bibliography Journals: The Journal of the American Denson, N., & Chang, M. (2009). Racial Diversity Matters: The Impact of Diversity-Related Student Engagement and Institutional Context. American Educational Research Journal, 46, 322-353. This article discusses the different forms of racial diversity contribution to students’ educational and learning experiences and the positive effects on students who adopt these diversity opportunities. The author demonstrates how the quality of higher education is substantially heightened by diversity-connected efforts.
backgrounds, is greater than ever, access and opportunity in American higher education is more complex and a lot less optimistic. Also, the majority of jobs requiring a college education doubled over the past 40 years (Carnevale, Smith, Strohl, 2010). While half of all people from high-income families have a bachelor’s degree by age 25, just
to about 83 percent of high school graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education, but only about 52 percent of students complete their degrees. Further, a very small proportion of students complete a degree in four years—“among students starting at ‘four-year’ institutions, only 34 percent finish a B.A. in four years, 64 percent within six years, and 69 percent within eight and a half years.” Colleges always want students to graduate and support their alma mater. However this begins with deciding what student are mentally readiness and determination for the task that lies ahead, college. In today’s society we struggle trying to find a proper definition for college readiness. This is the main reason statistics and graduation rates suffer in the way that they do. Just because a high school student reaches the age of 18, obtains a high school diploma, and has functional literacy, does that really make students college ready?
STEM is best known as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM for many years has been primarily seen as and stereotyped into a masculine work field. But as of recent years, while it expands, more and more women have been rising in these fields. However, there is still a tremendous gender gap between men and women in these fields and areas of work. The gender gap between men and women in STEM is alive and well. There is no denying that the gender gap between men and women in STEM is immense. But there instead are many sufficient reasons as to why there is such a huge gap between men and women within in fields. Some probable causes for the lack of women seen in these areas are biased towards women, unconscious bias girls receive