Campus Integration and Campus Climate at a Predominantly White Institution in the South

Abstract

Decades after Brown v. Board of Education, the tide has reversed back to school resegregation. Given the racial tensions, reports of racial microaggressions, and a resurgence of hate crimes on campus, the current study investigated the college students’ perception of campus climate and racial integration. In a predominantly White institution (PWI) in the Southern United States, we examined students’ ethnic identity, perceived interracial climate, significant others’ disapproval of interracial integration, and attitude and behavior toward interracial integration. Students of color (SOC) reported significantly higher ratio of interracial friends and a significantly more positive attitude toward interracial dating. SOC and White students indicated similar views on interdependence and supportive norms on campus, but not on equality and association. A significant interaction effect suggests that SOC are more likely to be impacted by racial school climate than White students. Additionally, White students perceived significantly higher disapproval by their significant others, thus impacting White students’ attitudes toward interracial integration more than SOC. The different patterns of behaviors and perspectives reported by the SOC and White students on campus climate and interracial integration in this current study illustrate the challenges that students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds face on campus. The importance of and the ideas for promoting an equal and fair school climate is discussed.