Background  s  Despite  lower  retention  and  graduation  rates,  research  

suggests  HBCUs  are  overachieving  when  considering  the  profiles  of  their  students  and  the  historical  underfunding  many  have  experienced    (Kim  &  Conrad,  2006;  Palmer  &  Griffin,  2009;  Richards  &  Awokoya,  2012).    

s  HBCUs  are  more  likely  to  admit  low-­‐income,  first-­‐generation,  and  academically  underprepared  students  (Allen,  1992;  Allen  &  Jewel,  2002;  Fries-­‐Britt  &  Turner,  2002;  Gasman,  2013;  Palmer  &  Gasman,  2008).  

s  Yet,  HBCUs  do  as  well,  or  better,  than  other  institutions  at  graduating  Black  students,  especially  in  critical  areas  such  as  science,  mathematics,  and  engineering  (Gasman  et  al.,  2007;  Palmer  &  Wood,  2012;  Perna  et  al.,  2009).  

Background  (continued)  s  Despite  the  accomplishments  of  HBCUs,  researchers  still  point  to  a  critical  need  for  HBCUs  to  maximize  retention  and  graduation  efforts  (Gasman  et  al.,  2010;  Kimbrough  &  Harper,  2006;  Lundy-­‐Wagner  &  Gasman,  2011;  Palmer,  Wood,  Dancy  &  Strayhorn,  in  press).  

s  Data  suggests  that  Black  males  in  higher  education  may  be  in  more  critical  need.  Particularly  at  HBCUs,  Black  males  are  often  significantly  underrepresented  and  less  likely  to  graduate  than  their  female  peers  (Kimbrough  &  Harper,  2006).  

Black  males  at  HBCUs  s  Research  from  the  1970s  and  80s  found  that  compared  to  

their  Black  female  peers,  Black  males  at  HBCUs:  s  were  more  likely  to  express  an  interest  in  enrolling  in  graduate  

and  professional  school,  s  were  more  attracted  to  prestigious  careers  in  fields,  such  as  

engineering,  business,  and  the  sciences,    s  had  more  positive  relationships  with  faculty,  s  were  more  socially  integrated,  s  earned  better  grades,    s  and  perceived  their  college  to  be  more  supportive  of  their  

academic  success      (Allen,  1986;  Fleming,  1984;  Gurin  &  Epps,  1975;  Nettles,  1988)  

Black  males  at  HBCUs  (cont.)  s  However,  recent  data  revealed  changes  in  the  experiences  

of  Black  men  and  women  at  HBCUs.  Specifically,  Harper,  Carini,  Bridges,  and  Hayek  (2004)  found  that  over  the  years,  while  campus  involvement  among  Black  men  had  decreased,  it  had  increased  among  women.    

s  Moreover,  a  qualitative  study  by  Palmer,  Davis,  and  Hilton  (2009)  revealed  challenges  to  the  retention  and  persistence  for  Black  men  at  an  HBCU  that  many  researchers  would  characterize  as  predictors  of  attrition,  such  as  poor  help-­‐seeking  behavior,  lack  of  financial  aid,  and  problems  at  home.  

Purpose  of  study  s  To  respond  to  call  from  researchers  to  help  HBCUs  increase  

academic  success  outcomes  among  Black  males,  this  study  sought  to  build  upon  previous  research  on  Black  males  and  HBCUs  which  discussed  ways  the  HBCU  environment  helped  to  facilitate  non-­‐cognitive  variables,  which  proved  critical  to  the  success  of  Black  males  (Palmer  &  Strayhorn,  2008).    

s  To  do  this,  we  used  Sedlacek’s  (2004)  non-­‐cognitive  variable  framework,  which  led  to  the  following  question:  In  what  ways  do  Black  male  graduates  of  HBCUs  who  are  currently  pursuing  advanced  degrees  at  a  Midwestern  PWI  believe  that  their  undergraduate  experience  engendered  and  facilitated  non-­‐cognitive  traits?    

Non-­‐cognitive  framework  s  Many  have  argued  that  success,  especially  for  college  

students,  has  less  to  do  with  grade  point  average  (GPA)  and  standardized  test  scores  and  more  to  do  with  qualities,  such  as  self-­‐esteem,  determination,  and  grit  (Duckworth,  Peterson,  Matthews  &  Kelly,  2007;  Moore,  2001;  Palmer  &  Strayhorn,  2008;  Sedlacek,  2004;).    

s  Findings  from  other  studies  underscore  the  importance  of  non-­‐cognitive  development  having  found  relationships  between  non-­‐cognitive  traits  and  academic  performance,  educational  success,  and  social  outcomes  (Coneus  &  Laucht,  2014;  Fuertes  &  Sedlacek,  1995;  Gayston-­‐Gayles,  2004;  Palmer  &  Strayhorn,  2008;  Ting,  2000).  

Non-­‐cognitive  variables  

Methodology  s  This  study  was  conducted  at  a  Midwestern  State  (a  

pseudonym)—a  public,  research-­‐intensive,  PWI  located  in  an  urban  city  in  the  Midwest.    

s  We  conducted  one  face-­‐to-­‐face,  in-­‐depth  interview,  which  ranged  from  45  to  70  minutes  with  each  participant.  

s  Participants  were  asked  to  reflect  upon  and  identify  aspects  of  their  HBCU  experience  that  they  believe  led  to  their  success  in  college.  A  series  of  open-­‐ended  questions  was  developed  using  Sedlacek’s  (2004)  Short  Answer  Noncognitive  Assessment  Form.    

Participants  s  We  made  the  decision  to  seek  the  insight  of  Black  men  who  

had  successfully  persisted  and  graduated  from  an  HBCU  in  order  to  not  only  ascertain  information  regarding  the  undergraduate  HBCU  experience,  but  also  the  ways  in  which  that  undergraduate  experience  contributed  to  their  current  perceptions  of  their  non-­‐cognitive  traits.    

s  According  to  institutional  data,  the  graduate  school  Midwestern  State  enrolled  26  male  and  41  female  HBCU  graduates  in  2012  (when  the  study  was  conducted).  

s  Selection  criteria:  a)  must  have  received  an  undergraduate  degree  from  an  HBCU,  b)  must  be  pursuing  an  advanced  degree  at  Midwestern  State,  and  c)  must  self-­‐identify  as  a  Black  male.    

Participants  

Findings  s  Three  themes  emerged,  which  suggest  that  HBCUs:    s  (a)  affirmed  the  potential  of  the  participants  and  allowed  them  to  develop  or  enhance  their  self-­‐concept;    

s  (b)  provided  strong  support  systems  for  the  participants;  and    

s  (c)  exposed  participants  to  aspects  of  racism  that  informs  the  way  they  now  navigate  racist  systems.    

An  Education  in  Self-­‐Confidence  “An  HBCU  makes  you  comfortable,  because  I’m  around  people  I  know,  people  that  look  like  me,  and  it  just  becomes  very  comfortable.  …  So  now  it  becomes  more  of  a  merit-­‐based,  skill-­‐based  kind  of  environment.  So  you  start  to  see  yourself  outside  of  the  race  barrier.  …  during  my  time  in  undergrad,  race  was  not  an  issue.  But  once  I  step  out  of  it,  now  I  feel  as  if  I  see  that  race  becomes  an  issue  in  everything  that  I  do  as  [a  Black]  male.  So  it  gave  me  basically  a  20-­‐second  time-­‐out,  if  you  wanna  call  it  that,  to  be  able  to  feel  more  confident  about  my  skills,  my  assets  as  an  individual,  hone  those  skills  in,  and  now  be  able  to  step  out  into  the  real  world  and  have  those  skills  and  display  them…”    

–  Otis  

Finding  Support  at  Every  Turn  “…they  took  more  time  in  me  and  made  sure  that  I  got  help—help  that  was  needed  to  not  only  transition  into  college  life  period,  but  to  get  to  where  I  need  to  be  in  my  studies.  I  had  some  gaps  in  my  background  knowledge,  so  teachers  even  were  receptive  to  helping  me  reach  back  and  bridge  those  backgrounds  before  I  continued  to  succeed  on  the  further  lectures.  So,  I  thought  that  was  really  good,  that  they  took  time,  even  though  they  didn’t  have  to,  which  really  stood  out  to  me  as  being  a  nurturing  environment  that  really  helped  me  out  today.”  –  Willis  

“…  I  also  came  from  a  situation  where  my  relationship  with  my  parents  wasn’t  the  strongest,  and  it  was  actually  detrimental.  I  spent  a  couple  of  years  in  college  homeless  due  to  my  parental  situation.  So  I  had  professors  who  I  could  really  lean  on  for  almost  parental  support.  I  had  a  professor  who  really  just  let  me  cry  on  her  shoulder  for  about  a  week.”  –  John  

The  Relevance  of  Race  at  an  HBCU  and  Beyond  

“You’re  taught  those  things  [about  racism]  and  I  think  that  because  of  that  when  we  go  out  into  the  business  world  we  are  a  little  bit  more  sensitive  and  pay  attention  to  little  things  and  different  sides  from  people  as  opposed  to  a  student  here  at  [Midwestern  State]  who  have  always  been  taught  that  the  world  is  equal,  that  everything  is  gravy  and  so  when  a  racial  incident  comes  up  students  don’t  know  how  to  handle  it.  I  think  that  was  one  of  the  benefits  of  going  to  a  Black  college  …  you’re  taught  to  pay  attention  to  certain  things…  most  of  the  HBCUs  are  located  in  areas  where  outright  racism  still  exists  and  you  know  it  …  it  teaches  you  how  to  deal  with  it  too,  it  teaches  you  not  to  always  be,  in  most  cases,  not  to  always  be  so  quick  to  bear  arms.  When  you  get  out  in  the  world  its  not  new  to  you,  you  just  kind  of  look  at  it  in  a  different  light.”  

 –  Marlon    

Discussion  s  The  findings  from  this  current  study:  

s  found  that  the  supportive  ethos  of  HBCUs  helped  to  facilitate  the  self-­‐concept  of  Black  males  and  enhance  their  sense  of  self  efficacy;  

s  revealed  the  ways  HBCUs  helped  Black  males  navigate  racism  in  a  larger  societal  context;    

s  add  a  more  nuanced  perspective  on  the  ways  HBCUs  help  Black  males  cultivate  non-­‐cognitive  characteristics  not  only  at  these  institutions,  but  beyond  as  well.    

s  suggest  that  although  the  participants  graduated  from  HBCUs  at  different  times,  ranging  from  2002  to  2011,  they  all  felt  that  the  institutional  climate  of  HBCUs  was  critical  in  helping  to  facilitate  a  set  of  non-­‐cognitive  skills  that  contributed  to  their  success  not  only  at  HBCUs,  but  in  society  as  well.    

Implications  s  Black  male  participants  were  able  to  easily  identify  with  the  

environment  at  their  undergraduate  HBCU  and  felt  confident  in  their  ability  to  persist  and  graduate.  s  It  remains  critically  important  that  these  institutions  promote  

positive  images  of  Black  men  and  implement  programs  that  specifically  support  the  development  of  their  Black  male  undergraduate  students.    

s  Our  findings  confirm  the  importance  of  assuming  institutional  responsibility  for  Black  male  success,  which  Harper  (2012)  suggests  is  particularly  important  when  trying  to  reach  students  who  may  not  be  as  confident  and  self-­‐directed.    s  For  HBCUs  and  other  institutions  seeking  to  support  their  Black  

male  students,  it  seems  essential  that  faculty  and  administrators  continue  to  assert  themselves  and  engage  intentionally  using  anti-­‐deficit  approaches  with  these  young  men.    

Implications  

s  The  participants  revealed  the  ways  in  which  their  experiences  with  and  lessons  about  racism  at  an  HBCU  prepared  them  to  deal  with  discriminatory  systems  later  in  life.    s  This  is  especially  important  when  discussing  the  success  of  

Black  men  in  predominantly  white  spaces,  considering  that  research  has  shown  that  “students  of  color  who  understand  racism  and  are  prepared  to  deal  with  it  perform  better  academically  and  are  more  likely  to  adjust  to  a  predominantly  White  school  than  those  who  do  not”  (Sedlacek,  2004,  p.  43).    

Conclusion  s  The  research  on  Black  college  men  typically  portrays  doom  and  gloom  

statistics  of  underperformance  and  underrepresentation.    

s  Likewise,  HBCUs  are  often  discussed  in  the  context  of  financial  instability  or  relatively  low  graduation  rates.    

s  Findings  from  this  study,  however,  revealed  a  number  of  positive  attributes  of  the  HBCU  experience  and  provided  examples  of  Black  males  who  successful  navigated  their  way  through  college  and  on  to  research-­‐intensive  graduate  programs.  

s  It  is  vital  that  campus  leaders  consider  the  ways  in  which  they  are  creating  inclusive  support  systems  so  that  Black  male  students  are  not  excluded  from  the  benefits  of  campus  resources.    

s  Ultimately,  as  they  were  with  many  of  the  participants  of  this  study,  the  non-­‐cognitive  benefits  from  campus  support  systems  may  prove  to  be  the  difference  between  persisting  and  graduating,  or  not.  

Contact  Information  

Feel  free  to  contact  us:  

s  C.  Rob  Shorette  II  –    s  Email  –  shorette@msu.edu  s                   @C_RobShorette  

s  Robert  T.  Palmer  –    s  Email  –  rpalmer@binghamton.edu