BOOK/MEDIA REVIEWS

Abstract

male student success in higher education: A report from the National Male College Achievement by Shaun R. Harper. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 2012, 28 pp. Free pdf download from www.gse.upenn.edu/equity/content/center-publications/ blackmalesuccessIn the report titled, Black male student success in higher education: A report from the National Male College Achievement Study, Dr. Shaun Harper adds a gem to his lifetime of work focused on the experiences of male college students. The report begins with a Message from the Author that provides the context. In this message, Dr. Harper suggests that the consistent negative messages regarding male undergraduates, including dismal college enrollment rates and comparatively low rates of baccalaureate degree attainment, are fueled by the deficit orientation that is constantly reinforced in media, academic research journals, and educational practice (p. 1). Therefore, Dr. Harper seeks to counterbalance the one-sided emphasis on low-performing male undergraduates (p. 1) with an interview-based qualitative study of 219 male undergraduate achievers from a diverse sample of 42 colleges and universities spanning 20 states.The colleges and universities that participated in the study were extensively described, leaving no question regarding the diversity of higher institutions in which the achievers were enrolled. There were six institution types represented in this study, including 12 public or private HBCUs, 12 liberal arts colleges, six comprehensive state universities, and 12 public or private research universities. The thorough description of the higher institutions are mirrored by the thorough description of the 219 achievers who participated in the two to three hour interviews required of this study. Of note regarding the sample, 73% of the achievers graduated from public high schools and 56% were from low-income or working-class families.After analyzing 4,500 single-spaced pages of transcripts from the 219 interviews, Dr. Harper and his team of graduate research assistants were able to distill the qualitative data into the following six categories: (a) getting to college, (b) choosing colleges, (c) paying for college, (d) transitioning to college, (e) matters of engagement, and (f) responding productively to racism. Achievers indicated that the greatest impact on college-going was parental expectation, characterized by achievers as non-negotiable expectations that they [the achievers] would pursue postsecondary education (p. 9). Most achievers indicated that their parents, extended family, and teachers assisted in the college search and choice process. One of the most telling findings was the perception that counselors were more harmful than helpful (p. …