A Critical Race Case Analysis of Black Undergraduate Student Success at an Urban University

Abstract

Presented in this article is a case study of Black students' enrollment, persistence, and graduation at Cityville University, an urban commuter institution. We combine quantitative data from the University's Office of Institutional Research and the U.S. Department of Education with qualitative insights gathered in interviews with students, faculty, and administrators. We then use tenets, theses, and propositions from Critical Race Theory to analyze structural problems that undermine persistence and degree completion, sense of belonging, and academic achievement for Cityville's Black undergraduates.

“It’s the Person, but Then the Environment, Too”: Black and Latino Males’ Narratives about Their College Successes

“…Interviews are “a conversation, whose purpose is to gather descriptions of the [life-world] of the interviewee” regarding their interpretation of events or experiences and the meanings that they draw and extract from the “described phenomena” (Kvale 1996:174). This investigation is in accord with a growing body of research that uses qualitative approaches to engage members of academically disadvantaged populations in talking about their efforts toward educational attainment (Brooms et al 2018; Garcia and Ramirez 2018; Harper et al 2018; Luedke 2017; Wood and Palmer 2015).…”

“…In focusing on student success, some scholars identify familial and community support as well as sociocultural capital, such as extended social and family networks, as important factors to persist in college (Dennis, Phinney, & Chuateco 2005; Strayhorn 2010). Contrasting the students’ successes and success efforts, Black and Latino males still experience isolation and race-related stressors in college (Abrica, Garcia-Louis, and Gallaway 2019; Cuyjet 2006; Harper, Smith, and Davis 2018; Noguera, Hurtado, and Fergus 2011; Sáenz and Ponjuán 2009). For instance, Ortiz (2004) highlighted both the struggles that students encountered in higher education and the pride they garnered through their accomplishments.…”

They’re Just Here for Ball: Proposing a Multi-Level Analysis on the Impact of Collegiate Athletics at Historically White Institutions on Black Male Collegiate Athlete Holistic Identity

“…Furthermore, scholars have noted this systematic racism is (Feagin, 2006). Despite the increased access to college, African American students in particular remain at the bottom of statistics when it comes to standarized testing in high school (Harper et al, 2018). According to the National Center for Education Statistics 2017, African American students have tested the lowest of all ethnicities in all three sections on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) since 1986.…”

“…Despite the increased sanctions handed out by the NCAA, some researchers believe that it would not eradicate the athletic-centric (and at times unethical) behavior of collegiate athletic departments and teams, but instead only encourage coaches, collegiate athletes, college professors, and athletic departments to cut corners to meet APR standards (Wolverton, 2008). For BMCAs who were underprepared for rigorous courses at DI HWIs in concert with unsupportive and unwelcoming campus climates, this can result in them struggling to meet APR standards (Harper et al, 2018;Melendez, 2008). When education is put at equivocal standards and importance through macro-level policy and requirements, it appears that it can promote a win-at-all-cost mentality where adminis-Bowling Green State University -https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/jade/ trators, coaches, and collegiate athletes place priority in athletic endeavors and success in front of academic success.…”

“…When reviewing BMCAs graduation rates and the NCAA's marketing of increased rates for their collegiate athletes, it is hard to ignore the gap between BMCAs and their peers. BMCAs on average, when compared to their non-athlete Black peers, graduate approximately 64% lower across the Power Five (Harper et al, 2018). It is to be noted that BMCAs are overrepresented when compared to Black students enrolled in the student body at HWIs (i.e., at the University of Florida, BMCAs make up 77% of the Black student body that represents 2.2% of the institution; Harper et al, 2018).…”