Organizational Culture, Identification, Structurational Divergence, Perceived Immediacy, and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors of HBCU Students

As historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) endeavor to establish niches in the higher education marketplace, we see a surfeit of HBCU executives, administrators, alumni, faculty, and student voices leading the public discourse about how twenty-first century solutions are being sought to serve the needs of an increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse educational sector. Journalistic missives and research produced in academia examine and often define HBCUs struggling to garner federal/external research dollars, struggling to attract, engage, and support diverse student populations, lacking innovation, failing to promote and foster cooperation and interdisciplinarity, and failing to promote esprit de corps among faculty. These missives are often the result of externally produced news stories which permeate because of a lack of engagement among traditional media outlets and journalists with “on-the-ground” thought leaders working with HBCU students and students themselves. Featuring the collaborative efforts of racially diverse faculty from multiple disciplines, producing research and providing service to racially, culturally, and geographically diverse students, the student service-based research project discussed in the chapter aims to provide differential academic and employment-support services to transition HBCU students with learning disabilities leading to improved college completion and employment outcome by emphasizing cooperation in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. Further, it accomplishes something equally critical to its research-based outcomes – a model of collaboration and cooperation other HBCUs should seek to replicate for the sake of its students, faculty, and institutional reputations. The program described in this chapter is just one example of programs that serve students and exemplify the mission of HBCUs, while demonstrating innovation, collaboration, and leadership, that creates an opportunity to counter-narrate pernicious stereotypes about HBCUs. The federally-funded, innovative student services/success program I examine in this chapter – a collaborative, multidepartment, and interdisciplinary program emphasizing cooperative learning at a southern flagship HBCU – challenges these pernicious narratives head on. Raising attention and awareness of the program’s existence is important not only to highlight the university’s attempts to promote student success, but is also another clarion call for HBCUs to do all within their power to promote their own successes at attracting, retaining, and promoting students’ success while finding creative ways to develop faculty and promote interdisciplinarity and collaboration. Doing so benefits all HBCU students regardless of their race, cultural affinities, or level of preparedness for college, and benefits all faculty, be they in the much-vaunted science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields or often lesser-valued, but equally crucial fields in the humanities, education, and the arts.

Drawing on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and structurational divergence (SD), this study (n = 190) observes how SD and demographic variables predict OCBs among faculty and staff at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Stepwise regression revealed significant predictors for several OCB factors: salary, age, and tenure for conscientiousness; SD, age, and tenure for sportsmanship; salary for civic virtue; salary and attending an HBCU for courtesy; and salary, age, tenure, and attending an HBCU for altruism. This study highlights the role SD and demographic variables have in promoting OCB at HBCUs during a time when presidents/chancellors are tasked with issues surrounding declining funding, increased competition, and shifts in the pedagogical environment. Understanding these dynamics assists senior leadership in enhancing their approaches to leadership and governing the culturally unique HBCU environment.

Engaging voices

Previous research suggests that students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) frequently have lower rates of drinking and alcohol-related problems. The etiology of such findings is still under debate although some research has suggested the African–American religious experience might account for the differences. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive picture of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and religiosity among HBCU students and to test the hypothesis that religiosity moderates problematic drinking behavior. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the College Alcohol Problems Scale Revised (CAPS-R), the Religious Maturity Scale, and the Salience in Religious Commitment Scale was administered to 144 students at a small southern HBCU. We found that, overall, the subjects were moderate drinkers and experienced few alcohol-related problems. The relationship between religiosity and alcohol-related problems was complex and gender mediated that relationship. The results suggest that although religiosity may act as a buffer to alcohol abuse in some HBCU students, it cannot fully account for the differences in alcohol use between students at HBCUs and other institutions.

Introduction: The Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program (GMaP) Region 1 North (R1N) is one of seven NCI GMaP Regional “hubs”, covering the states of KY, ME, MD, NH, VA, VT, WV and DC. A primary goal of GMaP R1N is to facilitate the career development of the next generation of underrepresented cancer researchers by promoting and increasing applications to the NCI Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Program. CURE provides funded training opportunities to students at all career levels to ensure a continuum of career development opportunities in cancer health disparities (CHD) research. CURE is an underutilized option for training for underrepresented minority (URM) students interested in CHD research. GMaP R1N developed and piloted an outreach program targeted to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with the goal of increasing interest in CHD research and increasing awareness of CURE among HBCU students. Methods: GMaP R1N staff conducted a series of planning calls with NCI GMaP staff to develop a customizable agenda for HBCU pilot events. The group decided on the name “CURE Tour” for branding purposes for promotion and advertising. The agenda for the events included: a) presentation from an experienced CHD researcher; b) presentation from a former CURE trainee regarding his/her experiences; c) introduction to the GMaP Program; and d) knowledge quiz about presentation content (with prizes for winners). GMaP R1N staff developed relationships with staff at HBCUs for promotion of the events and logistics. Pilot “CURE Tour” events were implemented in the spring of 2019. Results: A total of 99 students attended three “CURE Tour” pilot events at Delaware State University (n=38); Coppin State University (n=44); and Morgan State University (n=17). Approximately 98% of attendees were undergraduate students with 2% graduate/doctoral students. Students (n=81) completed post-event surveys. 98% reported learning something new about CHD/CURE that they did not know previously. 92% responded that the event was engaging; 63% expressed interest in CHD research; 66% said they were interested in applying for CURE funding; 96% said they would tell a friend about the event; and 90% reported that they would participate in a future event. Conclusions: The GMaP R1N “CURE Tour” pilot was effective at reaching a primarily undergraduate population of URM students at HBCUs who are interested in CHD research careers. All “CURE Tour” attendees will be tracked in the future regarding CURE funding and CHD careers. The agenda for the “CURE Tour” events was successful in keeping students engaged and providing new information to them regarding CHD research and CURE. Based on the success of the pilot, the same methods will be followed in developing future “CURE Tour” events at other HBCUs. In addition, materials and methods can be used to replicate “CURE Tour” events in other GMaP Regions and for other URM student populations. Citation Format: Mabinty Conteh, James Zabora, Laundette Jones, Mark Cromo, Julia Houston. The Geographic Management of Cancer Health Disparities Program “CURE Tour”: Increasing awareness of the NCI Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences Program through outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B003.

Today, 103 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) educate 135,722 male and 238,685 female students across the United States according to the most recent data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (Institute of Education Sciences & National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Historically, HBCUs have played a vital role in enhancing the provision of educational opportunities for traditionally underrepresented groups. Since the 1830s, they have been instrumental in preparing Black people to make significant contributions to the economic, intellectual, and cultural landscape of the nation. Today, research has demonstrated that HBCUs graduates enjoy greater financial success in their careers (Price, Spriggs, & Swinton, 2011), and U.S. rankings consistently show that HBCUs are among the top producers of students who persist through graduate and professional school (Fletcher, 2013). My own research indicated that HBCUs are clearly superior to predominately White institutions (PWIs) in promoting positive student-faculty relationships and students' sense of belonging among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors (Toldson & Esters, 2012). Notwithstanding, many HBCUs have suffered financially due to declining enrollment, the economic recession and other fiscal challenges. Federal investment in HBCUs is critical for them to realize their respective missions, achieve long-term financial stability, and develop programs, policies, and practices that promote recruitment, retention, and graduation among the Black students they so diligently serve.First-Term AccomplishmentsOn February 26, 2010, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to continue the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Jawando, 2010). Later that year, in September, President Obama affirmed the role that HBCUs must play to help him to achieve his goal of having the United States lead the world among college graduates by 2020 (Sabochik, 2010). He also reiterated his commitment to HBCUs by announcing his plans to increase spending on HBCUs by $850 million over the next 10 years. William Jawando, of the White House Office of Public Engagement, also noted that President Obama's 2011 budget called for an annual increase in spending on Pell Grants; important because 50 percent of HBCU students qualify for Pell Grants (Jawando, 2010). Other federal level accomplishments which will benefit HBCUs include continuing support for TRIO programs and signing an executive order for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.Second-Term HopesDuring President Obama's second term, federal action will be necessary for HBCUs to strengthen efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate larger numbers of students. For recruiting, it will be essential for the White House Initiative on HBCUs to work closely with the new White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans to bolster efforts to prepare the 8,550,344 Black children currently enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in the U.S. (Institute of Education Sciences & National Center for Education Statistics, 2012).From a policy standpoint, the federal government needs to address a the fiduciary responsibility of the state to provide public secondary educational options that meet the basic academic requirements of the same state's institutions of higher education, including public HBCUs. Coordinated efforts between the two White House initiatives could also address the growing trend of guidance counselors at predominately Black high schools advising qualified students to community colleges, and neglecting HBCUs.From a funding perspective, money allocated to HBCUs should be tied to deliverables that foster greater college persistence among Black students. Specifically, through budget allocations to the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, competitive awards should be expanded for HBCU faculty members who actively engage in research with students. …

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have served as the foundation of Black education in the United States and have been instrumental in the social and economic advances of the Black community since the Civil War. Students enrolled in and graduating from HBCUs develop and maintain a strong racial identity, a positive self-image, feel connected to others, and ultimately give back to their communities. HBCU students and alumni often challenge normative leadership paradigms to resist inequity and ultimately create social change. Unfortunately, HBCUs are missing from the leadership education conversations despite their historical contributions in teaching leadership and producing leaders. As such, the influence of Black colleges in the areas of social justice, leadership, and leadership development should be carefully examined by leadership educators and researchers. Using the Culturally Responsive Leadership Learning Model (Bertrand Jones, Guthrie, & Osteen, 2016), we consider the ways that HBCUs facilitate the development of students' leadership identity, capacity, and efficacy within the institutional contexts of (1) historical legacy of inclusion/exclusion, (2) compositional diversity, (3) psychological climate, (4) behavioral climate, and (5) organizational/structural aspects. Providing examples of leadership education programs, practices, and policies from HBCUs, we will explore how HBCUs develop Black students' leadership identity, capacity, and efficacy to generate our country's most capable leaders for social justice.

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to examine the salient literature on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with an overarching goal of setting a future research agenda for scholars interested in these institutions.Design/methodology/approach– This literature review is organized into two main sections: strengths and challenges. To move HBCUs forward, scholars need an understanding of these institutions’ strengths as well as those challenges that lie ahead.Findings– The major strengths include the value-added nature of the education provided by HBCUs (i.e. the willingness of HBCUs to educate “at-risk” students); affordability in terms of tuition; community engagement; leadership training of future generations; Afrocentric curricula and a competitive yet supportive learning environment, which is particularly beneficial in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields; a focus on teaching; and faculty and student diversity. The first half of this paper will focus on these strengths. These same national experts identified the challenges as low retention and graduation rates; lack of financial resources (especially for student scholarships and attracting faculty), and competition from historically White institutions (HWIs); the need for sustainable administrative leadership; lack of marketing of HBCU success stories; the pressures of desegregation and holding true to mission; the challenge of producing future scholars who care about the needs of HBCUs; small endowment size; and the persistent gender gaps in student enrollment. The second half of this paper will focus on these challenges.Practical implications– In addition, by identifying the strengths and challenges, researchers can assist practitioners at HBCUs as well as those in the policy and funding arenas in better understanding the needs of HBCUs.Social implications– The research on HBCUs has grown substantially over the past 30 years. However, this body of research still has substantial gaps and holes. If filled, many of these gaps and holes would lead to stronger institutions, greater knowledge on the impact of HBCUs and enhanced learning experiences for HBCU students. Many young scholars are interested in studying HBCUs but are often discouraged: when they approach their advisor with the topic, they are told it is not important and that their career will be limited by the topical choice. There is a lack of support within sections of the HBCU community for research that might uncover weaknesses or not treat HBCUs in an entirely favorable light. We encourage those interested in pursuing research related to HBCUs to find mentors who will support them in their pursuits.Originality/value– Although some of these topics and subsequent suggestions involve taking on controversial issues, it is important for individuals affiliated with and who care about HBCUs to conduct this research before uninformed outsiders do it (Gasman, 2006). There needs to be a concerted effort from HBCUs, HBCU faculty, HBCU scholar – practitioners and HBCU allies – the “insiders” and the “outsiders” – to ensure those closest to HBCUs have the opportunity to share their own voice, rather than simply have others speak for them. HBCU leaders and organizations that ignore negative data and institutional challenges do so at their own peril.

Background: Despite rising mental health concerns, African American students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face barriers that limit their awareness and use of counseling services, emphasizing the need to examine how communication strategies affect access. Objective: This article examines the effectiveness of communication strategies used by HBCUs to promote mental health services and identifies gaps between available support and student awareness. Methods: This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 14 African American students at a public HBCU to explore how communication strategies affect awareness and use of mental health services. Findings: HBCU students had limited awareness of mental health services, relied on traditional communication methods, preferred digital platforms like social media, and reported infrequent messaging. Conclusion: The findings suggest that HBCU students have general knowledge of mental health services, current communication relies on traditional methods often overlooked, students prefer digital platforms like social media, and messaging is infrequent. Future research should explore gender differences, regional variations, and effective social learning strategies to further enhance outreach and service utilization.

There is a national crisis around recruiting and retaining students from HBCUs. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education surveyed 64 of 100 HBCUs and found that only five of the schools surveyed graduated more than 50 percent of their students. The statistics are startling because HBCUs, some of which date to Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War (widely accepted as the period from 1865 to 1877), ostensibly was designed to improve an underserved community. Despite the large number of freshmen admitted each year to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), a low number graduate (Tinto, 1993). It is, therefore, imperative that HBCUs implement strategies most likely to increase retention and persistence rates. When it comes to taking a closer look at pedagogy and practice in teaching, the COVID-19 Pandemic has created innovative environments for faculty to assess the students. The new perspective has many faculties utilizing evidence-based practices regarding performance-based assessment and other innovative techniques to assess students learning. Online teaching & learning and online assessment are likely to occupy a higher percentage of the future curriculum, which can be seen as a positive development for online learning. A correlation assumed that university faculty satisfaction and fair promotion could have a positive effect on student retention and engagement with a comprehensive analysis of these studies. It is paramount to consider that not only was fundamental student engagement found of tremendous relevance, but the literature is evident that student engagement during the entire higher education experience also leads to higher student retention rates and increased institutional commitment (Burke, 2019). This paper defines retention and persistence at HBCUs and presents the results of a systematic literature review that (a) identifies the challenges that impact student retention and persistence at HBCUs during the COVID-19 Pandemic and (b) delineates research-based practices/strategies recommended to address the academic, socio-emotional, and financial and health/wellness challenges of students attending HBCUs.

Over the last 40 years, numerous studies have been conducted on the impacts of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on African American students. An overwhelming majority of these studies attested to the beneficial academic and developmental effects of HBCUs for African American students (Allen, 1992; Astin, Tsui, & Avalos, 1996; Bonous-Hammarth & Boatsman, 1996; Davis, 1991; Fleming, 1984; Harper et al., 2004; Kim & Conrad, 2006; Roebuck & Murty, 1993; Seifert, Drummond, & Pascarella, 2006). Numerous other studies compared aspects of African American undergraduate experiences at HBCUs and predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and concluded that African American students learned better and were more satisfied at HBCUs than at PWIs (Bohr et al., 1995; Cokley, 1999; DeSousa & Kuh, 1996; Flowers & Pascarella, 1999; Kim & Conrad, 2006; Palmer & Gasman, 2008; Watson & Kuh, 1996).Among these studies, many have addressed the topic of student engagement, and some addressed the issue of student satisfaction, but few focused on the relationships between student engagement and student satisfaction (Outcalt & Skewes-Cox, 2002). Researchers have found that positive student satisfaction is connected with higher student persistence, better word-of-mouth reputation of the institution (Schreiner, 2009), more alumni involvement, and increased financial contributions (Gaier, 2005; Miller & Casebeer, 1990; Monks, 2003), all of which are desirable outcomes of higher education. Therefore, the authors wondered if increasing student engagement would lead to higher student satisfaction at HBCUs, which in turn may lead to the above-mentioned desirable outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student engagement and student satisfaction for African Americans who enrolled at HBCUs and PWIs. For the purpose of this study a new method of selecting peer institutions for HBCUs was adapted, which would yield a more comparable group of institutions.LITERATURE REVIEWStudent Engagement and SatisfactionAlexander Astin's (1984, 1985, 1991) theory of student involvement and educational assessment framework-input-environment-outcome (I-E-O) model-provided the foundation and conceptual framework to understand the importance and impact of college student engagement. The last several decades have seen voluminous research in college student development supporting Astin's claim that the time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities is one of the best predictors of their learning and personal development in college (Astin, 1993; Carini, Kuh, & Klein, 2006; Kuh et al., 2008; Kuh et al., 2010; Pace, 1980; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005). Wolf-Wendel and associates (2009) pointed out that the concept of student engagement actually includes two components. The first component of student engagement is what Astin called student involvement, which is the amount of physical and psychological energy students devote to educational experiences. The second component of student engagement involves how many resources and efforts an institution puts into creating and maintaining a nurturing environment that promotes student involvement (Kuh, 2001). The importance of the second component of student engagement is that institutions that more fully engage their students in educational activities can claim to be of higher quality in comparison with similar types of colleges and universities (Kuh, 2004).Certain institutional practices are known to lead to high levels of student engagement. For example, in 1987, Chickering and Gamson published the Seven Principles of Good Practices in Undergraduate Education. These seven principles have been studied extensively and dispensed widely in many aspects of American higher education (Caboni, Mundy, & Duesterhaus, 2002; Chickering & Gamson, 1999; Poulsen, 1991;RoschN Sorcinelli, 1991; Whitt et al. …

Current HIV Testing & Risk Behaviors among Students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities in a Southern State

This study elucidates the experiences of HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) students who are racially Black, but differ in nativity and nationality from their Black American peers. The purpose is to examine Black HBCU international students’ sense of belonging on campus. This study engages qualitative individual interviews with ten Black international HBCU students and utilizes the constant comparative analytic process. Findings revealed Black international HBCU students’ perceptions of race and nativity shape their university experiences as they sought to maintain national identity while adjusting to the HBCU environment and engaging in cross-cultural interactions with Black Americans. Recommendations include embracing a heterogeneous perspective when developing services, programs, and research studies related to the experiences of Black students.

The Racial Framing of the Barack Obama Presidency: A Mixed Methods Analysis of HBCU Student Perceptions

The college sport landscape is a unique arena where institutional and social norms merge with an erratic, but highly-traditioned, sporting space. While the broader scope of college sport is framed through a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) lens, the context of differing institutions is often forgotten or misunderstood. This process is primarily evident with Minority-Serving Institutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are educational spaces that leverage their historical foundations and missions in an effort to create safe and equitable spaces for Black students and community members. Traditionally, scholarly inquiries about HBCUs have focused primarily on exploring and understanding institutional missions and culture. The dynamic and complex relationships that exist between HBCUs and their collegiate sporting teams continues to be understudied. This study uses a Black Liberatory Fantasy lens to analyze tweets posted by HBCU students, alumni, and media members from 2013 to 2020. A thematic content analysis of tweets discovered five (5) emergent themes that highlight the unique contributions of the HBCU sporting space: (1) shifting HBCU narratives, (2) the communal culture of HBCU sport, (3) the HBCU sporting sanctuary, (4) enrichment within the HBCU sporting space, and 5) the Black Oppressive Nightmare. Implications of this study highlight institutionally and culturally-specific approaches towards marketing, fan experience, and broader social discourse.