Lean On Me: The Support Experiences of Black Graduate Students
2008; Howard University; Volume: 77; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2167-6437
AutoresJuanita Johnson‐Bailey, Thomas Valentine, Ronald M. Cervero, Tuere Bowles,
Tópico(s)Education Systems and Policy
Resumosupport experiences of graduate students who graduated from a major southern research university between 1962 to 2003 were examined in a comprehensive survey that explored three areas: (a) relationships with faculty, (b) students, and (c) institution. Characteristics that distinguish this study from others include large sample of 586 participants across a four-decade period and combination of closed and open-ended questions. graduate students' primary sources of support were professors and other graduate students. students collectively told stories of isolation, exclusion, and survival. Overall, study revealed that graduate students believed that their support experiences were significantly different from those of White graduate students and that White graduate students experienced a much friendlier campus and a more positive classroom environment. Blacks have a long and troubled record with American higher education: legal prohibition on education, de jure segregation, defacto segregation, and futile efforts toward real integration and full participation. (The term Black is used rather than African Americans because participants in this study included all persons of Diaspora) Blacks are underrepresented as students, as faculty, and as administrators in higher education environs in United States, and this underrepresentation is particularly evident at elite research institutions (Bowen & Bok, 1998; The Persisting Racial Gap, 2004). According to Adair (2001), Blacks are invisible against backdrop of an American educational system where education can be a path to upward mobility and higher salaries. elusive graduate degree has a greater impact in helping to close economic gap between White and middle class than any other factor (Bowen & Bok, 1998; Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002) and, therefore, it is doubly discouraging that retention rate for Blacks decreases the higher up educational pipeline one goes (Onwuegbuzie, 1999, pp. 189-190), lessening chances of Blacks securing a slot in middle class via higher educational track. research university in this study historically serves undergraduates from high schools within state, approximately 25,000 students in fall of 2006. Currently, university's graduate and professional programs enroll an estimated 8, 500 students. As a group, Blacks have been considered special population at university since its 1961 turbulent desegregation. Therefore, this study only focuses on students. According to 2000 U.S. Census, state where university is located has a growing Hispanic population of 5.3 % and an Asian population of .6%. flagship university being studied has a Hispanic student population of 1.89% and an Asian student population of 5.14%. However, given state's larger population (29.2 %) and distinct southern history of civil rights regarding Blacks and desegregation of state's school system, this study focuses on issues relative to students (U.S. Census, 2000). desegregation of university's graduate programs does not parallel its stormy undergraduate desegregation. From beginning, paths of undergraduate and graduate students have been divergent. percentage of Blacks attending and graduating from university's graduate programs has been proportionately higher than undergraduate programs at university. In addition, graduate programs have been successful in their own right, ranking 13th in nation for doctoral degrees conferred on African Americans (Borden & Brown, 2006). targeted population for this study consisted of all students who graduated with a graduate or professional degree following university's desegregation in 1960s or May 1962 through May 2003. Alumni Records Office provided a list of alumni who met this criterion. …
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