Students' Experiences and Administrators' Responses to the Racial Realities of Black Collegians in STEM

• In Event: Roundtable Session 51
  In Roundtable Session: Stemming the Tide: Promoting Success for Black Students in STEM

Abstract

Many studies have examined the conditions that contribute to the underrepresentation of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Anderson & Kim, 2006; Museus, Palmer, Davis & Maramba, 2011; Ong, Wright, Espinosa, & Orfield, 2011). These studies suggest that due to their minoritized status, Black students may experience different challenges in pursuit of earning a STEM degree (Fries-Britt, Johnson, & Burt, 2013; Ong et al., 2011). The primary purpose of this study was to understand Black student experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward racial bias within the STEM disciplines at a large, public, predominantly White research university. The secondary purpose of this study was to investigate how administrators responded to and prepared students for the racial realities of these environments.

Author

• Tonisha B. Lane, University of South Florida