This dissertation explores the social, institutional, and structural conditions believed to be at the center of the racial disparities that influence access and participation within secondary and post-secondary environments of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. More specifically, this study investigates the…

This action research study examined and suggested strategic programs and practices to recruit more African American public school teachers. Collected interview and focus group data were analyzed using the modified van Kaam method and NVivo 12© software to identify themes regarding programmatic recommendations supporting the recruitment of African…

This qualitative study explores the college choice motivations of 48 African American alumni of 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Through narrative inquiry, findings reveal although positive interactions with HBCU students and alumni pique interest in learning more about HBCUs, racial isolation and alienation remain salient…

The authors set out to determine the brain dominance characteristics of students enrolled in business statistics courses in a historically Black university in a major southeastern Texas city. Thereafter, the authors investigated the relationship between a student's brain hemispheric preference and academic performance in college courses, which…

This dissertation examined the extent to which the sense of community, belonging, purpose and support of Black fraternities could be used as to enhance undergraduate black males' persistence to graduation. Guided by a sense of community theoretical framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black males who are Historically…

Over the years and particularly in the last decade, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have consistently faced challenges in retaining their chief executive officers. Their attrition as compared to the national norm is disproportionate. There is no doubt that there are a wide variety of reasons for this uncommon attrition. With…

In January 1932, two white women--Agnes Boeing Ilsley and Mina Buckner--were murdered in Ilsley's home in rural Middleburg, Virginia. Suspicion of who the murderer was settled on George Crawford, an African American man who was sometimes employed by Mrs. Ilsley to do various jobs, including serving as her chauffeur (Virginia Circuit Court 1933,…

Tennessee State University was a decade long user of OCLC's ILLiad platform. 2019 marked the year when the relationship with that system ended as our two interlibrary loan departments migrated to Tipasa, OCLC's new cloud-based system. The platform change did not stem from dissatisfaction with ILLiad but from being informed that Tipasa would…

Pay-for-performance has become a state finance policy du jour for public postsecondary institutions. A total of 35 states currently distribute varying amounts of appropriations to colleges and universities based on outcome measures. This study uses a difference-in-differences quasi-experimental technique to assess the impact of performance-based…

At this transformational moment in history, this report takes time to center Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the assessment realm; from teaching and learning experiences to internal and external mandates, from accreditation requirements to advocacy and agency. This work requires more than a statement composed of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the qualifying cumulative grade point average (C-GPA) and grit in engineering students compared with African American female engineering students, who qualify to take upper-level courses in engineering at a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in a Southern state.…

Since 1991, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has mandated academic support services for student-athletes at all Division I institutions. Today, there is a vast difference of athletic academic support units at Power 5 Conferences compared to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The resources at Power 5 Conference…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived quality of relationship between first-time freshmen and their instructors at a local HBCU on self-efficacy and a student's intent to remain in school. A mixed-method research design was conducted utilizing surveys and open-ended questions to collect data. The findings were marginally…

This study explores the integration of career development into performing arts curriculum and its relevance to job satisfaction in the labor market for African American Music degree graduates. Through a phenomenological analysis utilizing interpretative analysis and snowball sampling, 11 interviews were conducted across two Historically Black…

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were created to educate Black Americans. While these institutions are often diverse, they predominantly serve Black students and provide an educational experience that is steeped in Black history and rich in Black culture. This study explored how a public, medium-sized, primarily residential…