Un/Masking Racism: Exposing Effective Policies for Retention of Students of Color at Predominantly White Universities

• In Event: Race and the Postsecondary Student Experience

Abstract

The current body of policy-oriented knowledge tends to ignore race or to interpret differences in educational outcomes to characteristics of minorities that set them apart, e.g. “high risk” or underprepared. Therefore, asking the race question when it comes to a population that has often been labeled as low achieving, this research is imperative to policy making decisions. Understanding how universities can work to support students of color is critical in implementing effective policy strategies. By interweaving two narratives—one of an African American graduate student and the author’s personal narrative, this paper addresses factors affecting their experiences at a predominantly white campus, and proposes effective strategies to improve campus racial climates at historically White universities.

Author

• Dalia Rodriguez, Syracuse University