Some campuses are exemplars for best practices for racial inclusion in higher education, and they offer a vital opportunity to understand how to better include Black students. This critical life story analysis of Black college alumnae who graduate from a historically Black, women's institution, Spelman College, demonstrates the importance of…

This dissertation is a study of Bennett College for Women (Bennett College), one of two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) whose mission continues to be the provision of higher education to Black women in America. It is one of just over one hundred HBCUs still operating in the United States. This dissertation tells the story of…

American women in the 21st century have more options from which to select a college education than in the past, yet there are some women who purposely select a women's college. This study examined the culture of women's colleges, specifically Spelman College, a Historically Black Women's College (HBWC) in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by White…

Historically, education has often varied by curriculum, access, and stature based on location, race, gender, economic status, religion, and time period. In addition, many educational institutions and much scholarly research have been significantly impacted by private foundation support. This essay discusses the politics of knowledge as it relates…

It is widely recognized by state and national teacher accrediting agencies that there is the need for preservice teachers to have dynamic experiences in working with diverse student populations (i.e., English Language Learners, varying socioeconomic statuses, exceptionalities, different family structures) in order to appropriately address the…

The Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics conducts an annual census of all degree-granting physics departments in the United States and Puerto Rico. The survey had a 95% response rate from the 751 departments that granted physics bachelor's degrees in the class of 2010. Results show that the number of physics bachelor's…

The authors describe an interdisciplinary course team-taught by an economist and a sociologist. Historically mindful of the less than amicable relationship between these disciplines, these colleagues developed a course that attempted to illuminate the different perspectives of economics and sociology in relation to selected health themes. Such a…

This study uses case study analysis to explore the ways that Spelman College, a historically Black women's college, promotes the attainment of African American women in STEM fields. Although limited to one institution, the findings shed light on the ways that institutional characteristics, policies, and practices may mitigate the barriers that…

Diversity has been a focus of higher education policy, law, and scholarship for decades, continually expanding to include not only race, ethnicity and gender, but also socioeconomic status, sexual and political orientation, and more. However, existing collections still tend to focus on a narrow definition of diversity in education, or in relation…

Marian Wright Edelman relates the story of her experiences at Spelman College, Georgia, an all-black, all-women's school. Her story tells of the strong group of black and white faculty members who mentored her, pointing her toward a highly successful life in public service. (SM)

The new president of Spelman College, Johnnetta Cole, would like to make Spelman the leading center of international thought on the condition of Black women in the world. She wants to remain active as an academician and is finding time to pursue her scholarly work. (MLW)

This study examines racial identity attitudes, womanist identity attitudes, and self-esteem of 111 African American college women attending two historically Black higher educational institutions, one coeducational and one single-sex. The major findings indicate that pre-encounter and encounter attitudes of racial and womanist identity are…

Reviews the history of Black women's higher education and focuses on three issues: (1) coeducation versus single sex institutions, (2) curricular needs, and (3) psycho-social needs of Black women. Cites examples from two major Black women's colleges. (KH)

This study examined how African American women defined who they were in their respective college contexts, focusing on the roles of gender, race, and institutional type. A total of 20 women from a white coeducational institution, a predominantly white women's college, and a coeducational, historically black college participated in in-depth…

Patterns emerging in a trend toward increased enrollment in private colleges are examined, focusing on the relationship of size, selectivity, location, women's colleges, historically Black colleges, and enrollment change. (MSE)