Into the Storm: Ecological and Sociological Impediments to Black Males’ Persistence in Engineering Graduate Programs

Abstract

While much is known about how Black students negotiate and navigate undergraduate studies, there is a dearth of research on what happens when these students enter graduate school. This article presents the results of a study of 21 Black male graduate students in engineering from one highly ranked research-intensive institution. This article provides evidence of structurally racialized policies within the engineering college (e.g., admissions) and racialized and gendered interactions with peers and advisors that threaten Black males' persistence in engineering. We argue for taking an anti-deficit approach to understanding Black males' persistence in engineering. We conclude with implications for policy, practice, and research that could further improve the scholarship and experiences of Black males in engineering graduate programs.

It Takes a Village: The Role of Emic and Etic Adaptive Strengths in the Persistence of Black Men in Engineering Graduate Programs

“…In graduate school-and throughout their STEM pathways-they faced consistent opposition to their goals of completing an engineering degree. It can be imagined that an abrupt shift from receiving consistent support in working toward one's goals to receiving opposition (opposition in the form of racial microaggressions, being overlooked to participate in study groups by their graduate peers, and being underrepresented in the engineering college; Burt et al, 2018) could cause anxiety and doubt. The BRSAM helps underscore how, in response to their graduate school challenges, the Black men in this study drew on emic and etic strengths to support their persistence.…”

“…L. Williams, Burt, & Hilton, 2016). Such an adapted model is needed to better articulate the experiences of Black men in engineering (Burt et al, 2018). Figure 1 illustrates the adapted model used in this study.…”

“…Ongoing structural racism in higher education keeps underrepresented students of color marginalized and feeling like outsiders at predominantly White institutions (PWIs; Bonilla-Silva, 1997;Burt et al, 2018), making underrepresentation a common factor related to persistence for such students (Harper, 2010(Harper, , 2015Howard-Hamilton, Morelon-Quainoo, Johnson, Winkle-Wagner, & Santiague, 2009;Ingram, 2007;Truong & Museus, 2012). National statistics highlight the limited representation of Black men in engineering graduate programs.…”

Origins of early STEM interest for Black male graduate students in engineering: A community cultural wealth perspective

“…They show what it looks like to be Black, male, and in STEM. This article provides important evidence of supports and resources needed for some Black males to navigate a field that they enjoy, but that also imposes barriers to their participation (Burt, Williams, & Smith, ). Our findings acknowledge the lasting effects of cultivating and maintaining STEM interest, enjoyment, and identity.…”

Toward a Theory of Engineering Professorial Intentions: The Role of Research Group Experiences

“…She suggests that graduate students become well-versed in common readings of their field and gain practice discussing the highlights of the literature. In science and engineering fields, however, a dominant socializing practice is participation in research group experiences (Burt, 2017;Burt, Williams, & Smith, 2018;Campbell, Dortch, & Burt, 2018;Crede & Borrego, 2012;Newstetter, Kurz-Milcke, & Nersessian, 2004;Villa et al, 2013). In these fields, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers often "live" in the lab because their research is tied to the lab and to the lab supervisor's work.…”