Understanding Academic Advising and Its Impact on Black Women in STEM: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT031 (Saturday)

Abstract

This sequential mixed-method study examines how academic advising shapes the college experiences of Black undergraduate women in STEM. Across three interconnected phases, the study explores how institutions conceptualize advising, how Black women perceive and navigate advising relationships, and how these experiences influence academic success, retention, and sense of belonging. Phase one uses critical discourse analysis to examine how 154 universities represent advising on their websites. Phase two applies a critical quantitative approach to analyze NSSE Academic Advising Topical Module data. Phase three employs Sista Circles to explore lived experiences in depth. Together, these phases provide a comprehensive understanding of advising’s impact and inform equity-centered practices that better support the persistence and success of Black women in STEM.

Author

• Cheyenne Smith, Indiana University