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Influence of African American Engineering Student Perceptions of Campus Climate on Graduation Rates
Author(s) -
Brown A. Ramona,
Morning Carole,
Watkins Charles
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.896
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 2168-9830
pISSN - 1069-4730
DOI - 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00847.x
Subject(s) - graduation (instrument) , historically black colleges and universities , institution , perception , higher education , medical education , psychology , sample (material) , political science , sociology , medicine , engineering , social science , chemistry , mechanical engineering , chromatography , neuroscience , law
African American undergraduate engineering student perceptions of institutional and personal/social campus climate factors were investigated to determine how these perceptions influence academic performance and institutional graduation rates. Data collection was accomplished through use of a quantitative and qualitative survey instrument administered to a national sample of subjects. The research discovered wide variation in individual institutional African American graduation rates and differences in rates among groups of institutions categorized by their academic selectivity or their designation as a Historically Black College and University. Students at institutions in the higher of the academic selectivity categories had higher graduation rates. However, students enrolled in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities category had more favorable perceptions of their college experience and had higher grades than students attending other institutions. After controlling for institution category, higher graduation rates were associated with students' lower perceptions of racism and discrimination and with students' greater institutional commitment.