Breaking the chains: student organizations and social integration as means to the development and academic emancipation of African American students
Abstract
As far as the United States has come in terms of racially equality,
including the advent of the first African American president, African
American college students continue to have some of the lowest retention
rates in the country and struggle to succeed in college. Researchers look
far and wide for resources to bring to campuses to improve success rates
of these students. However, student organizations are an overlooked
asset on college campuses and have been understudied in regards to
African American student success. Data collected through interviews
of African American students at a predominantly white institution
was analyzed to shed light on the potential of student organizations
to facilitate social integration and develop a healthy racial identity.
This study has identified networking as a key in achieving social
integration and a healthy racial identity among African American college
students. These results can be used to inform policies to encourage
African American students to become proactively engaged in student
organizations and develop skills critical to their success in college and
for universities to focus more resources toward these organizations