Helping or Hindering? The Role of Minority-Serving Institutions in Underrepresented Minority Attainment

• In Event: 63.087 - Sheraton Roundtable Session 11 - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 63.087-3 - (In)Equity in Student Access and Experiences Across Institutional Types

Abstract

An increasingly globalized labor market necessitates enhanced training and education for today’s students, particularly at the postsecondary level. In response, institutions nationwide have expanded access for diverse student populations. Some research has examined the role of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in serving these students. Although several qualitative studies examine under-represented minority attainment at MSIs in comparison to their peers at predominantly-white institutions, little research empirically examines the differential rates of completion. This study uses IPEDS data to examine completions for URMs and finds sobering results, with lower completions for minority students at MSIs compared to PWIs. It is only through a critical examination of how institutions are performing that institutions, state policymakers, and federal agencies can respond to this imperative.

Author

• Rachel Anne Burns, RTI International