Black and Latino men are attending college at higher rates than ever before, yet their increased access has not led to increased success, as Black and Latino men face greater barriers to their success than do White and Asian men. The challenges to timely graduation for these populations are even greater at Christian colleges. The purpose of this…

African American student academic performance is a topic of much concern in the U.S. (Allen, 1992; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper et al., 2012; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992). Thus, the task of closing the academic achievement gap between Black and White students is a worthy assignment undertaken by…

African American (AA) males face significant challenges in persisting academically and completing college degrees, leading to a widening achievement gap between them and other minority and non-minority groups. Despite efforts to improve low academic persistence rates, AA males continue to underperform compared to their African American female…

Little research is in place to qualitatively understand the underlying mechanisms of the academic gender achievement gap in rural high schools. This study explores the meaning men attribute to the gender achievement gap in a rural, predominantly white, low-income high school. in the Northeastern United States. Drawing upon a hegemonic masculinity…

This transcendental phenomenological study examined the factors that led to the successes of Latino males' persistence in obtaining their bachelor's degree. Through the lens of participants' lived experiences, first-generation Latino males unpack their experiences and describe how those experiences impacted their academic achievement to graduate…

This critical constructivist study was grounded in the belief that there is an urgent need to address attainment gaps between White students and students of color at community colleges, that equity-minded leadership is needed to address these gaps, and that the call for transformative leadership must be answered not solely by leaders with…

Improving baccalaureate degree attainment for transfer students continues to be a key topic across the nation. The Associate Degree for Transfer is the latest attempt to improve outcomes. This quantitative study examines the effectiveness of the Associate Degree for Transfer pathway program as compared to other transfer pathway programs over a…

A qualitative research design helped answer the research question, "how do Black college men describe their experiences of persistence and academic success while enrolled at a predominantly white institution." The purpose of this generic qualitative study is to describe the experiences of self-efficacy among Black college males attending…

Latino students are enrolling in college at higher rates than any other demographic, but these developments have not been reflected in increased retention or degree completion rates. A disparity in the rate of degree achievement between Latino males and their counterparts has been referred to as the "vanishing Latino male" phenomenon.…

This phenomenological study addressed the factors of an institutionalized peer to peer mentoring program that fostered academic success and persistence among Black male students graduating from a predominantly White four-year public university in Tennessee through the lens of the critical race theory. Data was gathered through face-to-face,…

This phenomenological study addressed the factors of an institutionalized peer to peer mentoring program that fostered academic success and persistence among Black male students graduating from a predominantly White four-year public university in Tennessee through the lens of the critical race theory. Data was gathered through face-to-face,…

Forty years ago, females surpassed males in enrollment and completion in higher education. Even as the number of students in higher education has increased over the last 4 decades, the number of males who enroll and persist to completion has continued to widen. This gender gap in higher education attainment is starting to gain the attention of…

Undergraduate first-generation Black male students enrolled in colleges nationwide are not graduating at rates comparable to their peers. Despite others' increased graduation rates, many undergraduate first-generation Black male students struggle to graduate. In the past decade, increasing research has focused on why first-generation Black male…

The problem addressed in this study was the current low retention and graduation rates of Black males at community colleges nationwide. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to determine the effect of the Black Male Initiative (BMI) on Black males' academic self-efficacy and academic achievement scores. Academic…

This dissertation uses an anti-deficit perspective to explore the academic experiences of Black men who have completed their bachelor's degrees at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Despite the reality that only 34% of Black men achieve their undergraduate degrees within six years, this study shifts the narrative from focusing on obstacles…