An exploration of a post-secondary retention program for African American students.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examined a retention program at the University of Jackson. The purpose of this study was to give insights into ways to address the academic, social, and cultural problems experienced by African American students at predominantly White universities by exploring an effective retention program at one university. This study is an analytic and descriptive case study that utilizes qualitative methodologies to explore how a retention program at a Southern, predominantly White university influenced the matriculation of African American students. Data collection methods included interviews of faculty/staff, and students; and a collection of university documents, which included reports, publications as well as students' grades. The methods of data analysis in the study consisted of memos, coding data, and constant comparative analysis. Results of this study showed that students' participation in this retention program had a positive influence on student success at this university. This positive influence resulted in students receiving innumerable academic, social, and cultural benefits from participating in the Office of Black Student Success's retention program. Having this advocate and support system was extremely important for these students at this university. The graduation rate at this university was enhanced due to a program whose goal was to specifically increase the retention rate of African American students. The student participants have identified the peer helper program and the mentoring program as the components of the retention program that had the mast positive influence on their retention at the University of Jackson. A comprehensive retention model emerged from the data and literature review of this study. This model can be used as a guide by predominantly White universities to aid in increasing the retention rate of its African American students. A comprehensive retention model should be effective because several factors impede the progress of African American students at predominantly White institutions and to solve the problems all factors impeding progress need to be addressed. Thus, to have the most success a retention program must be comprehensive and able to strategically tackle all of the areas such as academic, social, and cultural factors that African American students needed support in.