African American, female, first-generation students face unique social and academic challenges due to their triple minority status of being Black, female, and first-generation and often perceiving low social support. The problem this study addressed is the role that self-efficacy and social support play for this group of students is insufficiently…

The nation is at a critical juncture in history as it seeks to increase the number of students who enter the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. The national push to have a properly trained STEM workforce was at the forefront of the past administration's top priority list. The higher education community has a unique…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate African American females regarding the support systems that enabled them to persist toward STEM degree attainment. Social Cognitive Career Theory was the foundation of the research because it allowed the researchers to address the…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate African American females regarding the support systems that enabled them to persist toward STEM degree attainment. Social Cognitive Career Theory was the foundation of the research because it allowed the researchers to address the…

To support and enhance educational attainment in the United States, the Lumina Foundation established a national goal of 60% of adults earning a high-quality credential by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Lumina Foundation expanded its funding to the adult learner population in 2017 by establishing the Adult Promise Initiative. The organization…

This study highlights the influence of K-12 classroom experiences on college decision-making processes among Black students with dis/abilities. Within this study, participants articulated how positive and negative educational experiences shaped the choice to pursue higher education, as well as factors prioritized during their decision-making…

The academic success of African American students has received notable attention (Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White & Salovey, 2012). Aronson, Fried and Good (2002) highlight that meager academic achievement among African American students often ends in African American students being categorized as having a poor academic self-concept. This study…

In this article, we review factors that are associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) achievement and describe the development of the Predictors of Black Outcomes in STEM Survey (PBOSS). We retain a well-fitted three-factor model (engagement, continuity, and guiding functions) and find that the PBOSS scores are…

Using critical race methodology as a methodological framework, this paper explores how 16 Black men PhD scientists and engineers describe their undergraduate and graduate school choices and how race and racism influenced these processes. Our analysis yielded two descriptive themes focused on counterspaces for Black men in science and engineering…

Black male students have limited access to advanced placement classes and are often placed in special needs courses more frequently than their white counterparts (Hines et al., 2020; Wright et al., 2017). When compared to other demographic groups, indicators such as persistence, graduation rates, and GPA suggest Black male academic achievement…

Study abroad is a high-impact practice in the college and university setting that can lead to increased student engagement and student success. While study-abroad participation has increased, it is not a common practice across ethnic demographics or minority-serving institutions. Heritage-seeking is a form of study abroad that allows students of…

Follow-up studies of clustering by academic major, the dynamic of 25% or more of the student-athletes on a roster pursuing the same academic major, indicate that it still occurs in revenue-generating sports. Research on clustering is absent in member institutions of different NCAA divisions, institutions with unique missions, specifically…

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide an overview of an alternative approach to advising Black students at Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU). The appreciative advising approach assists advisors in not defining their students by their current and past situations. Rather, it embraces the unique individuality of each…

Low African American male student graduation rates in the United States have been a concern for higher education administrators, and more strategies to address their challenges are needed. This basic qualitative study addressed the experiences of African American male students who persisted to graduation at a predominantly Black institution in the…

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) if there is a statistically significant relationship that exists between socioeconomic status of African American students among Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions and (b) to determine if the degree of the relationship differs by institution type, public…