Black Male Students' Community College Experiences

• In Event: 28.090 - MTCC Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: 28.090-3 - Black Male Students: Stepping Stones for Academic Success along the Pathway from Secondary to Two-Year Institutions

Abstract

Community colleges are a critical access point to post-secondary education for black men, yet such students are not graduating, transferring, or entering the workforce at an acceptable pace. The purpose of this study is to explore black males' perceptions of their community college experience. The study will describe unique strengths and challenges black males navigate on their journey to community college success. The research will situate black male voices in the discussion that illuminates the importance of human agency coupled with institutional responsibility to improve academic outcomes.
Because most research does not include a more holistic and multi-faceted approach, this study utilized The Five Domains Conceptual Model to address black male student success in community colleges (Bonner, 2014). In order to fully consider the inimitable background factors, personal obstacles, and institutional barriers of black males in community colleges, I employed a qualitative methodology guided by the following research questions:
1. What are black male students’ community college aspirations?
2. What do black male students perceive as strengths and challenges in reaching their community college goals?
3. How do black male students describe the role community colleges play in helping them achieve their community college goals?
The Five Domains Conceptual Model provided a contextual framework for areas of qualitative inquiry where black males became creators of knowledge (Bonner, 2014). Semi-structured qualitative interviews exposed the complexity of the issues of inequitable outcomes underscored through the perceptions, stories, narratives, and reflections of black males in community colleges. Interviews allowed for a more personalized experience with an already marginalized student body population to discover their personal, academic, and career goals in the community college environment. The qualitative method effectively validated black male experiences through semi-structured interviews that allowed them to elaborate and give specific examples, as opposed to survey research which does not always provide substantive explanations.
Community college success for black male students is not satisfactory, and this study is anticipated to reveal that black male students perceive campus climates and practices are not inclusive, engaging, or culturally relevant (Harris, 2010). Black male students may also reveal community colleges do not provide a welcoming atmosphere with adequate faculty support and programs and services to assist them succeed.
Community college leaders must consider the issues of inequity if committed to social justice, empowerment, and the transformative power of a higher education in uplifting society at large (Bragg & Durham, 2012). If community college leaders employ multifaceted approaches to addressing systemic bias and structural racism inherent in campus climates and practices, they may remedy the problem of inequitable outcomes for black male students (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012).

Author

• Maisha Nicole Jones, Los Angeles Southwest College