FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PERSISTENCE AND RETENTION FOR BLACK MALES AT A PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY

Abstract

In the United States, previous and current data state that Black males have the lowest persistence and graduation rates in higher education institutions among all student populations. Black men in public four-year colleges and universities are generally the lowest-performing male group. According to the US Department of Education, only 38.6% of Black male students graduate within six years from four-year institutions, compared to 64.1% of White male students. There is an array of factors and challenges that contribute to these academic disparities starting as early as Black males' primary education years. There is currently a gap in research addressing factors, particularly as they relate to first-year persistence and retention to their sophomore year. Additional research is still needed to examine college readiness and the first-year academic experiences of Black undergraduate males. Previous research pointed to several factors that had both positive and negative influences on Black male student persistence and retention, including college readiness, campus climate, environmental and sociological factors, sense of belonging, student support, faculty support, and mentoring, availability of financial assistance, and racism and microaggressions. Tinto’s Persistence Theoretical Framework (Metz, 2004) was used to organize this study and connect it to existing literature. Research suggests that to address the retention needs of Black males, college administrators must be able to acknowledge and adapt to their unique needs and obstacles. Further, better retention staff and hiring a more diverse faculty that the students can relate to culturally may improve retention and persistence. This study utilized the Qualitative Narrative Research Method, which allowed me to interact with Black male first- and second-year students through interviews and focus groups to share lived individual experiences as they relate to the research topic. Through this method, the study attempted to identify factors and strategies that can contribute to the persistence and retention opportunity gaps between Black males and other student populations at four-year public universities. This study illustrated that Black male college students are not monolithic, meaning that there is an array of challenges that Black males face in their academic pursuits. However, there are many students who achieve academic success through persistence and perseverance.