Abstract
The purpose of this case study is to explore the experiences of a Black man student transitioning from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to a predominantly white institution (PWI) for graduate school. This vignette illuminates the racial undertones and academic realities of many HBCU students who matriculate to PWIs in pursuit of their graduate education. We must continue to grapple with how we recruit and engage HBCU students on PWI campuses. The discussion questions presented in this case study seek to engage educational stakeholders in academic discourse surrounding support for Black students that inform research and practice.
Keywords: HBCUs, Black Graduate Students, PWIs, Black Student Experiences
Primary Characters
Justin Porter (he/him/his) is a recent graduate of Wakanda State University (WSU), an HBCU in Alabama. During his time at WSU, Justin was involved in student government, a fraternity, the campus chapter of the NAACP, and was a resident assistant. Justin identifies as a Black first-generation college student from the southeastern part of the U.S.
Dean of Graduate School (he/him/his) identifies as an older retirement aged white man who is a 3 time graduate of State University. He has worked at the university for over 30 years.
Dr. White (he/him/his) is a Full Professor and Program Coordinator for the Higher Ed/Student Affairs Masters program at State University. She identifies as a middle-aged white woman with over 20 years of student affairs experience.
Student Rep (She/her) is a second-year master’s student in the student affairs program. She identifies as a white feminist womyn who is an advocate for social justice issues.
Setting and Case
Setting
This case study takes place on the campus of State University (SU). SU is a large research-intensive (R1) institution located in Alabama. As the state’s flagship institution, SU boasts prestige and legacy dating back to the early 1700s. SU has roughly 50,000 students with fewer than 4% Black students and only 35% of their student population is Pell Grant eligible.
Recently, SU released its new strategic plan which included a diversity, equity, and inclusion pillar. This pillar focused on making the campus more equitable for faculty, staff, and students from marginalized backgrounds. SU announced plans to increase the Black student enrollment at the institution. This new initiative includes increased aid packages for Black graduate students who enroll at the university.
SU’s President believes increased aid packages will boost the enrollment of Black graduate students. In a speech to the campus community, President Long stated, “Financial barriers have always been at the forefront of exclusion for some populations. Thus it is our intention to mitigate these barriers by announcing the new Black Excellence Fund”. After announcing the fund, colleges and departments were instructed to use this initiative to recruit more Black students.
Case
Justin Porter is excited to begin a new chapter of his life. It was not long ago that Justin was walking the halls of Wakanda State University. For Justin, WSU was a loving and vibrant environment. He remembers his first day at WSU where he was greeted by energetic Black people holding signs that read “Welcome Home” while music filled the air.
Over the next four years, Justin dove deep into the offerings of WSU as a student leader. He participated in SGA which led the charge for student advocacy and planning homecoming festivities. He was initiated into a Black divine nine fraternity where he promoted scholarship, manly deeds, and love for all mankind. He was also involved in residential life as an RA for two years. With all of this involvement, Justin still maintained a 4.00 GPA.
These were the best times of his life; from live music radiating throughout the cafe on seafood Fridays to intense debates on WEB Dubois vs. Booker T. Washington. WSU was a place Justin felt loved, supported, and protected. The university motto “A Community of Care” was more than a statement on a website; it embodied the environment and shaped campus experience.
Upon graduating WSU, Justin was heavily recruited to pursue a master’s degree in Higher Ed/Student Affairs at SU. This opportunity was enticing for him due to the new Black Excellence Fund which provided significant financial support as a part of the new campus initiative. After weeks of deliberation, Justin accepted the offer and enrolled at SU.
Now graduate orientation is finally upon Justin. He is excited to move to campus. When he arrives, Justin is greeted by graduate student ambassadors and directed to the student union for orientation. As he enters the union, Justin is again greeted with smiles and chants of “Hail, State!” – the campus war cry. Justin is unfamiliar with the chants, but in an attempt to fit in he joins in, repeating, “Go! Fight! Rebels!” This is a well-known chant at SU – especially during football games as fans cheer on Rebel team’s players. The Fighting Rebels mascot has historical connections to the Civil War. Overwhelmed with nerves and excitement, Justin does not fully process the words of the chant. He proceeds into the orientation space in hopes of finding a sense of belonging by meeting new people, hoping this experience would be similar to his experience at WSU.
Justin is shocked upon entering the union ballroom. As he looks around, Justin immediately realizes that he is one of four Black students in the space out of at least 75 new graduate students. This demographic makeup reflects the larger school population of Black students who make up less than 6% of the total student body. Despite becoming more and more uncomfortable, Justin takes a seat as the program begins.
The event opens with a welcome statement from the Dean of the Graduate School followed by a brief history of the university. The theme of the Dean’s comments is “SU: Past, Present, and Future”. Talking about the past, the Dean highlights various historical campus buildings and landmarks which he encourages students to visit. Most of these landmarks are dated back to the time of African enslavement in the U.S. One of the landmarks is the “historic campus house” which sits at the center of campus. This house is notable as it was the original home of the university’s founder and was formerly known as the “Big House”.
The Dean continues and recommends that each student tour the house to learn more about the university’s history and asserts the institution’s intentionality of grappling with the university’s troubled history. He states, “We cannot move forward without understanding and reconciling the past”. Justin feels extremely uncomfortable as he has no desire to visit the campus house. He recalls growing up near cotton fields and taking elementary school field trips to places similar to “The Big House”. As he relives the trauma of those experiences, his chatter enthusiastically about the tour. As a result, Justin is reminded of how different he is.
Concluding his introduction, the dean says, “We are glad you’re here. Welcome and – Go, Rebels!”
As orientation continues, Justin finds it hard to focus. The program ends and Justin rushes back to his apartment for a sense of security. He begins to process what occurred and to understand these new feelings of isolation and lack of belonging. While processing these feelings, Justin attempts to ground himself and reaches out to his friends at WSU. Talking with his Black friends is reaffirming and provides Justin with a sense of community. After talking with his friends, Justin shifts his focus and is looking forward to the first day of class next week.
On the first day of class, Justin is excited to meet his peers and faculty advisor Dr. White. As Justin enters class, he notices everyone is already there with coffee from the campus coffee shop. Justin takes a seat and thinks to himself, “How did I miss the memo for the group gathering?” He overhears his classmates discussing a funny incident from their walk to class and how another student shared a gif in the class group chat. Justin realizes he was not included in the group chat . Justin again feels a tension and begins to sweat and shake slightly as his body reacts to his emotional state.
Curious to see if he missed an invite to the group chat, Justin asks the class, “Hey, was there a get together for coffee that I forgot about?” A student replies, “Oh, no. Everyone just decided to meet there via the group text. Are you in the group text?” Justin replies, “What group text?” The student says, “We have a cohort group text. I guess you weren’t added. No worries, I’ll add you now”. Justin attempts to hide his emotions saying, “Okay. Thanks”. This situation furthers his feelings of isolation on campus and now within his academic program.
After an awkward two minutes where no one in the class wants to address the evident elephant in the room regarding Justin being left out, Dr. White enters the classroom and the first class begins. Class starts with introductions and an overview of the syllabus. Afterward, Dr. White introduces the ACPA/NASPA competencies, emphasizing the social justice competency saying, “Social justice is at the forefront of our field of student affairs. I am proud our university is also engaging in this work, especially with the new Black Excellence Fund. This is a prime example of how we are leading the way in social justice issues”. Immediately, Justin notices most of the class staring at him.
Not noticing (or not acknowledging) the class dynamic, Dr. White introduces the Higher Education Student Affairs organization student rep. The student rep gives an overview of the organization’s core values with an emphasis on social justice. Again stressing the Black Excellence Fund as a “transformative” university initiative, the rep call for students to serve as ambassadors of the initiative. She stated, “This is a great opportunity for our minority students to be seen across campus and help recruit others like them”. With a subtle look at Justin, the student rep asks students to reach out if they are interested. Justin is embarrassed and sinks into his seat. Feeling singled out, Justin approaches Dr. White after class with hopes of addressing his situation and the impact it is having on him.
Justin: Dr. White, can I speak to you?
Dr. White: Hi Justin, yes I have a quick second.
Justin: I’m not sure how to say this but I’m not sure I feel like I belong at this university.
Dr. White: Why would you say that Justin?
Justin: For starters, the class excluded me from the group text and the trip to get coffee. Then during the presentation, I felt embarrassed during the discussion about the Black Excellence Fund.
Dr. White: Please Justin, don’t take it that way. I’m sure the group text thing was a minor oversight. Do you currently have access to the group text? (Justin nods yes). See? Nothing to worry about. This is a new environment and it’s going to take time to adjust. Give yourself time to make friends and get acclimated to the graduate program. I can see how the Black Excellence Fund discussion might make you might feel uncomfortable. Look at it like this, the university is making great strides to address the disparities in the student population and expand access to graduate programs. You have an opportunity to be a part of something great. Sorry, Justin, I have to run, but I hope you’ll consider being an ambassador. I think can help you build connections and networks at the university and get your name out there so you stand out.
Justin leaves the conversation confused and not knowing where to begin to process all of what has happened during his first week at SU.
Discussion Questions
- Discuss the intent versus the impact of the Dean’s recommendation to visit historical landmarks on campus.
- How might campus leaders address the impact of university history and traditions on the well-being of Black students?
- How could cohort members support Justin in his transition to SU as a Black student?
- How can faculty and administrators create space for Black students to share their concerns and find resources that help them transition to a new university?
Author Bios
Travis C. Smith (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at Auburn University. His research examines the experiences of Black students at HBCUs and Black graduate students at PWIs. Dr. Smith aims to disrupt systems of oppression through action research and critical methodologies.
Deja Trammell (she/her/hers) is the Student Advocacy Administrator at Auburn University and a 3rd-year doctoral student in the Educational Psychology program. Her research focuses on asset-based practices that explore Black student success as a strategy for student development and retention. Deja works to incorporate the lived realities of Black students into experiential learning and community building to foster professional identity development.