White Institutions Research Articles

Voices Unveiled: Personal Reflections of Faculty of Color in Nursing Academia.

The presence of faculty of color (FOC) provides critical role modeling and mentorship for diverse students and thereby contributes to increasing diversity in the nursing workforce. Personal reflections of FOC within a predominantly White institution involved feelings of isolation, not belonging, and lacking support and mentorship. Addressing negative experiences of FOC supports retention and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion.

(Un)Doing Diversity Work in a “Diverse” Space: Examining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work in Historically Black College and University Athletics

Matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have taken center stage in intercollegiate athletics in response to renewed momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery (to name a few) in 2020. Following the trend, athletics diversity and inclusion officer positions have been developed to implement DEI programming and strategy in athletics on respective campuses. However, while research on DEI programming at historically White institutions is well established, inquiries on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are rare. To fill this gap in the literature on strategic DEI efforts, the present study aims to analyze the current landscape of DEI work at HBCUs. Drawing from racialized organization theory, we argue that the contemporary conceptualization of DEI hinders the perceptual need for DEI programming at HBCUs. Thus, the monolithic approach of DEI programming cannot remain the pragmatic solution to inequitable experiences in NCAA athletics, specifically at HBCUs. Considerations include budgetary allocations, professional development, and the overall athlete experience.

Black Taxes: African-American Doctoral Students Experiencing Tokenism at a Predominantly White Institution

Black Taxes: African-American Doctoral Students Experiencing Tokenism at a Predominantly White Institution

Objectivity interrogation of racial scholarship in psychology and management

Scholars of color remain underrepresented in US institutions in academia. In this paper, we will examine one factor that contributes to their continued marginalization in psychology and management: the scientific method’s commitment to traditional notions of objectivity. We argue that objectivity—defined as practices and policies rooted in the heightened value placed on a research process that is ostensibly free from bias—is central to the prominence of primarily White scholarship in psychology and management research and remains central to knowledge production. To investigate this, we employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to codify how scholars of color experience objectivity interrogations, or written and verbal questioning in academic contexts that implicates their scientific rigor. We also identify how scholars of color engage in objectivity armoring, or self-presentational strategies (toning down and stepping up) to contend with these interrogations. Finally, we reveal these toning down processes in language use within publications on racial scholarship. Overall, these studies reveal the unique challenges scholars of color face to legitimize and validate their work on race and racism within predominantly White institutions and disciplines.

Shuffle Out, Shuffle In: Child Protective Services Contact and Institutional Shuffling among Middle-Class Black Mothers

Abstract Researchers have shown how punitive state contact shapes the lives of poor Black individuals but have paid less attention to the role of punitive state contact in the lives of the Black middle-class. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 29 middle-class Black mothers recently investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS)—a punitive state institution with the ability to remove children from their homes—this article asks how Black mothers who are not poor assess risk of future CPS contact and navigate the threats it poses. Armed with greater resources than poor mothers, middle-class Black mothers work to evade future CPS contact through institutional shuffling—a resource-intensive evasion strategy that involves shuffling children out of certain types of institutions and into others. I find that middle-class Black mothers shuffle their children out of formal institutions and into informal ones, out of predominantly white institutions and into predominantly Black ones, and out of institutions where they have weak ties and into institutions where they have strong ties. While shuffling may shield mothers and children from future CPS contact, it may also shrink mothers’ networks, isolate children from a broad array of institutional resources, and inadvertently expose middle-class Black families to greater surveillance and punishment.

Academic self-handicapping as a mediator of the relation between imposterism and academic goal orientation: testing invariance by gender and underrepresented status

Objective: Imposterism and academic self-handicapping (ASH) are related to negative outcomes in college students. We examined whether the relationship between imposterism and academic goal orientations is mediated by ASH across men and women and for students who are underrepresented on campus. Participants: Participants were 852 undergraduates (29.1% men, 26.1% first-generation, and 22.1% from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups at the predominantly white institution (PWI) where data was gathered). Methods: Participants completed self-report scales assessing imposterism, ASH, and academic goal orientation. Results: ASH partially mediated the relationship of imposterism to mastery and performance approach academic goal orientations. High imposterism was directly related to high performance-avoidance orientation. Our model was invariant to gender; while it did not appear to be invariant to underrepresented status, this was accounted for by first-generation student status. Conclusions: Results have implications for the classroom and creation of interventions to minimize ASH and imposterism and their impact on student success.

Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education: Insights from Black faculty and administrators in agricultural colleges at United States land grant institutions

The experiences of Black faculty as leaders and administrators in the field of agriculture have not been widely studied nor reported. The goal of this research focused on Black faculty leaders' experiences in agriculture to gain firsthand insights regarding the enhancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. The central research question guiding the study was: What are the experiences of Black faculty leaders at Colleges of Agriculture at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)? Counter-storytelling was used to explore the personal narratives of eight participants. These experiences fall within the tenets of Critical Race Theory. Three primary themes emerged: Navigating Leadership: Microaggressions in the Midst; Inequities: Is Everyone Really Equal; and Isolation: The Lone Ranger. Findings of this study hold valuable implications for practitioners, policymakers, and academic institutions seeking to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. Recommendations for policy and practice include providing support for leadership mentoring and professional development, conducting robust research on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender for faculty of color, and establishing collaborative initiatives between academic institutions, industry partners, and community organizations to address historical disparities and stimulate interest in agriculture among Black communities.

Breaking the silence: Student affairs’ role in Black male faculty well‐being at predominantly White institutions

AbstractIn this article, we investigate the nuanced challenges facing Black male faculty members in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) regarding their mental health. Through an exploration of the multifaceted roles and responsibilities of student affairs professionals, we uncover actionable strategies that can foster a supportive and inclusive environment for this affinity group in PWIs. Drawing from historical context, contemporary experiences, and future considerations, our analysis highlights the systemic barriers and cultural dynamics contributing to this crisis. Through an intersectional lens, we explore the unique stressors faced by Black male faculty, including racial discrimination, microaggressions, isolation, and the pressure to perform “diversity work” without adequate institutional support. By shedding light on these issues, we aim to spark critical conversations and advocate for systemic changes that prioritize the mental health and well‐being of Black male faculty in PWIs, fostering inclusive and supportive academic environments for all faculty members.

Undergraduate Learning Assistants’ Understanding and Practices of Equity

Undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) are near-peer instructors that facilitate learning by engaging in student-centered, active pedagogies, and often engage in more direct contact with students than faculty. Despite their important role in STEM classes, little is known about how ULAs understand and practice equity. Instructors’ understanding of ‘equity’ directly impacts their teaching practices. Instructors with ‘equality’ based conceptions of equity that prioritize fairness and treating each student the same are more likely to adopt didactic, instructor-centered teaching practices that have been shown to less effective than other approaches, with disproportionate impacts on students from minoritized backgrounds. Further, in making sense of racial disparities in their classes or disciplines, STEM faculty often draw on color-evasive narratives that explain racial phenomena without explicitly naming race or racism as a cause of oppression and these beliefs are associated with a reduced ability to notice racist events in the classroom and with the adoption of harmful equality-based approached to teaching and mentoring. STEM faculty are not alone in drawing on color-evasive narratives. Undergraduates also hold these beliefs, and those that do are less likely to recognize microaggressions or to find them problematic. Thus, we ask (a) How do STEM ULAs at a Mid-Western primarily white institution conceptualize equity in their role as educators? (b) How do ULAs conceptions of equity influence their self-reported teaching practices? We hypothesized that a majority of LAs will draw on color-evasive ideologies, and those that do will be less likely to notice racist events in classes, more likely to perpetuate inaccurate descriptions of their classes as neutral and objective and more likely to endorse teacher-centered practices. Drawing on frameworks of color-evasive racism, Haynes’ White Racial Consciousness and Faculty Behavior model and the four approaches to equity proposed by NASEM, we qualitatively coded the data from surveys and interviews to assess LAs’ understanding and practices of equity. We find that LAs engage with color-evasive in several ways: They explain racist classroom events without naming race or racism, ascribe to equality-based understandings and practices of equity or inclusion-based understandings and practices that focus on individuals’ characteristics and needs while ignoring historical, sociopolitical and systemic causes of inequities. By delving deeply into how STEM ULAs perceive and implement equity, our work informs future interventions and training programs to enhance equitable teaching practices in STEM education. This work is supported by a Creating Inclusive Excellent Grant from Michigan State University. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Mortal Man: How a Black male initiative changed me

AbstractIn this article, I use an autobiographical narrative case study to discuss my journey with my mental health and the ways that being a part of a Black men's initiative—first as a member, next as a peer mentor, and lastly, as the teaching assistant—helped me to undo some of the neglectful and toxic ways that I was avoiding my body, mind, and soul while pursuing my undergraduate degree. This article calls for campus leaders and administrators to understand and prioritize the need for Black men's initiatives. These initiatives create a crucial space for Black men at historically White institutions to access a culturally situated environment that can ultimately support their wellness.

The Experiences, and Effects, of Racial Mistreatments in the Lives of Black Male Collegiate Football Players: A Qualitative Analysis

Black male college athletes historically have endured racial mistreatment, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Yet research examining how these athletes, particularly football players in Power Five conferences, experience such mistreatments and the effects they have on their psychological health and well-being has been sparse. Thus, we interviewed 13 current Black male college football players to document their experiences. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we determined that the athletes (a) believed that football defined and limited them, (b) felt misunderstood and isolated on campus, (b) were dehumanized and criminalized, and (d) were physically and psychologically exhausted from chronic racial mistreatments. There remains a clear need for clinical, policy, and systemic changes to support the mental health needs of Black male college athletes.

Black African Students in Predominantly White U.S. Higher Education Institutions

Black African students are increasingly choosing the United States as their preferred destination for higher education, and many choose to study at predominantly White institutions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate factors that may influence their identification and commitment to those institutions. Researchers interviewed 20 sub-Saharan Africans at a predominantly White Southeastern university. Findings revealed that construed external image, overall satisfaction with the school, promotion of the institution, and willingness to maintain membership shape the extent to which Black African students are identified and committed to their university of choice. Furthermore, the study also found that prestige does not appear to influence Sub-Saharan African students' identification and commitment to a school in the U.S., but race has mixed effects depending on how it gets interpreted by students. These findings suggest implications for research and practice for student affairs professionals to better serve and retain their international populations.

Examining student and faculty attitudes in developing a social justice studies minor

Social justice in education is becoming a more prominent and necessary area of study in higher education. Facets of social justice align directly with values of liberal arts education, and students who are exposed to social justice pedagogy develop the knowledge and skills necessary to meet critical learning outcomes associated with the liberal arts. Given such demands to incorporate social justice pedagogy and practice into curriculum, the purpose of this study was to understand student and faculty attitudes and values regarding social justice education in order to guide the creation of this academic program at our college, as well as other institutions, particularly liberal arts colleges and/or predominately white institutions, that are interested in creating or enhancing their social justice education programs. Themes from focus groups with students and faculty revealed needs, desires, and concerns from the campus community regarding social justice education. Additionally, we created a social justice studies program for our institution using a strategic review of existing curriculum, resulting in a new academic minor built on existing courses that required no new faculty lines and little additional work on behalf of the faculty. Insights from this process are shared.

In the Service/Surveillance of the UCLA School of Library Service

ABSTRACT Using the historical beginnings of University of California, Los Angeles School of Library Service, this article will show how self-surveillance and racializing surveillance were enacted under the guise of professionalization through higher education institutions. Bringing Simone Browne’s concept of racializing surveillance into the history of library education, this article argues that whiteness was preserved in professionalization, supporting a white supremacist system, amid concerns about status and value in white institutions during the 1960s. The story of the origins of the UCLA School of Library Service, including Lawrence Clark Powell’s influence in its formation, curriculum, courses, and administrators, as well as students such as Marion K. Cobb and Helen Amestoy, reveals how graduate-school education had intentions that delineated who was a professional and who was not. That is, the professionalization of librarianship enacted a type of racialized self-surveillance technology on library students, limiting the past and present possibilities of librarianship.

Excavating hegemonic rules of engagement for women and queer students of color in academic spaces

In this study, the author examines how persistent exclusionary epistemic norms and practices become internalized as barriers for women and queer students of color to pursuing liberatory learning in justice-oriented academic spaces at traditionally white institutions. Using an epistemic oppression framework rooted in critical race and intersectional feminist perspectives, the author analyzes critical episodes when women and queer students of color felt constrained in their desired participation in an educational foundations learning community to reveal hegemonic rules of academic engagement that operated to stifle their participation. The author argues that these rules, informed by dominant epistemologies and epistemic harms, limit WQSoC license to ask questions, claim their experiential knowledge, and assert critiques from their positionalities toward critical educational praxis. This research has implications for theorizing conditions that explicitly attune to and counter these oppressive rules to create space for WQSoC to center their learning.

‘Built on my B(l)ack’: racial capitalism and anti-Blackness in predominantly white institutions of higher education

ABSTRACT This article presents a qualitative analysis of Black student organizers’ experiences of racism at the University of Missouri, where they led a resurgence of campus struggles in 2015. Semi-structured interviews with former student organizers were conducted and, together with archival materials, subject to thematic analysis. Black students faced frequent racist aggression, wherein their presence in campus social and intellectual life was cause for white alarm and aggression. Analyzing experiences and impacts of everyday violence in relation to broader systems of anti-Blackness and racial capitalism, the article identifies educational, psychological, social, spatial, material, and political consequences of campus racism. Several broader impacts of anti-Black racism are delineated, including psychological harm, economic dispossession, and institutional maintenance. The findings illuminate the effects of varied but cohesive instances of anti-Black racism in higher education, making visible repetitive moments of everyday violence that universities both enable and erase.

Black Students’ Suggestions for an “Inclusive” and “Excellent” University: An Examination of an Historically and Predominantly White Institutions in Southeast Georgia

This study addresses a critical barrier to the academic advancement and graduation of Black students–the presence of a hostile racial climate. While Historically and Predominantly White Institutions (HPWIs) may profess a commitment to diversity, a closer examination of their culture, climate, practices, and policies reveals the persistence of racialized structures that disproportionately advantage white individuals. This research provides strategies employed by Black students at a HPWI of higher education to achieve academic success and enhance their overall college experience. Through 44 in-depth one-on-one interviews, students share the stthey have harnessed to navigate these challenges. Central to these students’ success included active participation in Black student organizations, where they not only resist the effects of a hostile climate but also foster academic and social achievements. Through leveraging their agency to articulate their experiences and engaging with Black student organizations as counterspaces, Black students adeptly navigate the complex environment of HPWIs.

Race Talk: Assessing Awareness and Mood After a Difficult Dialogue

Facilitating racial dialogue in higher education is challenging and taxing for instructors and students. Race, racism, implicit bias, and microaggressions are all topics that evoke strong emotions in a classroom. This can be especially challenging at a predominantly white institution. Facilitators must develop and assess pedagogical approaches for navigating these contentious spaces. This paper assesses an implicit bias lesson plan designed to educate, foster dialogue, and cultivate inclusive spaces. The lesson plan, Association Awareness, utilizes the Harvard Implicit Association Test to measure implicit attitudes. We use the Bias Awareness Scale to measure the effectiveness of the lesson plan and present findings on mood, bias awareness, explicitly stated racial preferences, and implicit racial associations. Results suggest that participation in the Association Awareness lesson significantly increased bias awareness in predominantly white undergraduates without negatively impacting their mood. Implications for action and future research are discussed.

‘We are not ok’: a photovoice study on educational violence and resistance by and for Black undergraduate students at predominantly white institutions

ABSTRACT Experiences of individual and institutional racism within education hinders the ability of Black students to study safely, negatively impacting their mental health and academic outcomes. However, universities continuously fail to respond, ultimately silencing Black students. Despite persistent educational violence, Black students continue to thrive through radical resistance. To highlight both experiences of oppression and resistance, the current study utilized photovoice to understand the intersectional experience of 5 Black women undergraduate students at predominantly white institutions. Implications inform actionable strategies to ensure Black students are in a space where they can thrive.

Show HBCU Referee Bias the Red Card: Testing Communication Theory in Division I Women’s College Soccer

The current study focused on the red cards and yellow cards that referees gave to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in Division I women’s college soccer for their in-game communicative actions. These cards are distributed to players who are perceived to have engaged in a reckless play or an action that involved excessive force. Within the United States, HBCUs are institutions of higher education that historically and primarily serve students who are of African American descent. Thus, the strong Black woman collective (SBWC) theory of communication was the theoretical frame because this study focused on small groups that were mostly comprised of African American women. Previous studies on referee bias were summarized in the literature review. Publicly available data on 19,360 soccer games were then analyzed. The findings indicated that referees gave more red cards to HBCU women’s college soccer teams relative to predominantly White institution (PWI) women’s college soccer teams at a statistically significant level. Yellow cards were also disproportionately distributed to HBCUs relative to PWIs. Implications for communication theory were noted in the study discussion as were interpretations on why referee bias against HBCUs continues to occur.