“Everybody seems to get along . . .”: An Institutional Case Study about Campus Race Relations

Abstract

This institutional case study explores campus racial climate from the perspective of students, staff, faculty, and administrators at Carden University, a mid-size predominantly White institution located in the southeastern region of the United States, using focus groups with seven students (one for Students of Color and one for White students) and one-on-one interviews with two student affairs staff members, two faculty members, and two senior administrators. Campus-based suggestions for improving campus race relations and climate are offered by the participants. Findings reveal the need for space to discuss topics related to race and ethnicity; the importance of faculty, staff, and administrators supporting diversity; and the value of integrating diversity into an institution’s curriculum. These suggestions and others are explored in the article.