Abstract Department of Political Science Etson, Sr
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ABSTRACT DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ETSON, SR., TIMOTHY DEMORRIS B.S. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY, 1988 M.P.A. CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, 1999 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE POLITICS OF BLACK MALE ENROLLMENT IN GEORGIA’S PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Committee Chair: Dr. F. S. J. Ledgister Dissertation dated July 2012 Between 1998 and 2008, in the African-American community and for black men in particular in the State of Georgia, attaining a post-secondary education and its corresponding benefits has proven to be challenging. With the abrupt transition of policies and programs such as the HOPE Scholarship, Affirmative Action, and African American Male Initiatives during this period, came a corresponding transformation of the composition of number of black males enrolling in Georgia’s public colleges and universities. Along with the wider gender and race changes that occurred during this period, as of March 2004, black males represented 16.6 percent of the national numbers as compared to 18.5 percent of their Black female and 32.9 percent of their white male counterparts 25 years and over who attained bachelor’s degrees. I Despite many impediments to improving the education levels of citizens in the State of Georgia, it appears that the widest educational gap was among African Americans. Fewer black males graduated from high school on time, compared to almost two-thirds of the black females. Many scholars of educational policy attest to the fact that college enrollment levels are a problem among all students. One example of this research is highlighted to show how African-American males have particularly low rates and are even vulnerable to dropping out of high school. This dissertation attempts to contextualize political science with larger public policy processes by using the roles of politicians and public administrators as creators of public policy that will eventually be used to impact the enrollment level of African- American males in Georgia public colleges and universities. This work draws from a series of interviews, surveys, and focus groups. By examining the different issues that impact enrollment levels, this dissertation underscores the complex areas of processes that bring together African-American Male Initiative Programs, Affirmative-Action policies, and Financial Aid programs such as the HOPE Scholarship. Present for political scientists is a body of research that will enable us to examine a core of scholarship to sift through a sort out the various interests that converge and represent different and potentially conflicting visions about how public policy should impact higher education. 2 AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE POLITICS OF BLACK MALE ENROLLMENT IN GEORGIA’S PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY iN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY TIMOTHY DEMORRIS ETSON, SR. DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ATLANTA, GEORGIA JULY 2012 © 2012 TIMOTHY DEMORRIS ETSON, SR. All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The pages of this dissertation hold far more than the beginning of an article published on December 18, 2003 in Black Issues in Higher Education titled “Sharing the Responsibility: Increasing Black Male Student Enrollment.” These pages also represent the relationships forged with many generous and inspiring people I have met since beginning my Masters program until completing my dissertation. The list is long, but each person played a vital role to my development as a scholar, teacher, and practitioner. To my advisor Dr. Fragano Ledgister, an outstanding mentor who demonstrates that rigorous scholarship can and must be accessible to everyone he comes in contact with, that reading about great scholars is essential to intellectual work and, also, scholars have the privileges of academia to expand the world as it exist. To my committee members Dr. Abi Awomolo and Dr. Henry Elonge for their though provoking words, constructive criticism, and time and attention during semesters. To my children, Tim Junior, Chandler, and Brandia, may your journey down the road of higher education lead you to great places in life such as doctors, lawyers, or entrepreneurs. And finally, to Angela Chandler Etson, who I met in graduate school and became the woman I married at St. Paul of the Cross, my cheerleader, voice of reason, and life raft, thank you for coming to the defense of my dissertation and for always coming to my defense. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES vii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Purpose and Significance of the Study 5 Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations of the Study 6 Practical/Political Significance of Study 7 Concepts 8 Research Questions and Hypotheses 11 Brief Analysis of Georgia 12 Population and College and University Growth Patterns 12 Outline of the Study 16 Notes 17 II. LITERATURE REVIEW 18 Introduction 18 African-American Male Initiatives 18 Educational Policies 24 Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Scholarship and Other funding Sources 28 Programs Designed to Help Low-Income Students 31 Incarceration Rates 32 Affirmative Action 34 Conclusions 39 Notes 41 III. RESEARCH DESIGN 44 Theoretical/Conceptual Framework 44 Racial Quotas 45 Reverse Discrimination 47 Affirmative Action 48 Afrocentricity 50 Multiculturalism 52 Economics 54 111 Table of Contents (continued) CHAPTER PAGE Major Concepts .55 Methods: Data Analysis Steps and Procedures 58 Methods for Technical Analysis 58 Methodology of the Study 60 Data Analysis 61 Data Processing 61 Analyzing Survey Data 61 Notes 63 IV. HISTORY OF BLACKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION TN GEORGIA 65 Introduction 65 History 65 Acts and Associations 67 The Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 67 The Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1890 68 American Missionary Association 69 State Supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Georgia 70 Savannah State University 70 Fort Valley State University 71 Albany State University 73 Policy Implications of Black Institutions 75 Court Cases 78 Philosophy of Influential Men 99 W.E.B. DuBois 99 CarterG. Woodson 105 President Barack Obama 107 Conclusions 117 Notes 120 V. DATA ANALYSIS: PART I 125 Introduction 125 Overview of Sample Population 125 Bill Cosby’s Position of Cultural Bias against Education 126 Bill Cosby’s Critics 135 Conclusion 139 African-American Male Initiative Survey Results 140 African-American Male Initiative Programs Interview and Focus Groups 148 iv Table of Contents (continued) CHAPTER PAGE Arlethia Perry-Johnson: African-American Male Initiative Program Project Director 148 Center for African-American Males: Albany State University 151 The Leadership Academy: Georgia Perimeter College 152 Georgia Perimeter College Leadership Academy Focus Group 153 Programs of Excellence: Introduction 160 University of Georgia Project: Gentlemen on the Move 161 University of West Georgia: Black Men With Initiative 162 Conclusion 166 Notes 169 VI. DATA ANALYSIS: PART II 171 Introduction 171 Affirmative Action Policies 171 University System of Georgia 172 University of California Board of Regents 174 University System of Michigan 180 University System of Texas 183 Analysis of Admissions Policies 187 Calculating Lambda to Measure about Affirmative Action Admissions Policies 189 Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally Scholarship (HOPE Scholarship) 191 Current State of Affairs with the HOPE Scholarship 193 How Will Governor Nathan Deal Impact the HOPE Scholarship Program 194 Georgia Student Finance Commission 197 Georgia Student Finance Commission Focus Group 197 Final Survey Results 200 Conclusions 206 Notes 208 VII. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION 210 Introduction 210 Findings 211 African-American Male Initiative Programs 211 Affirmative Action 213 HOPE Scholarship 214 Conclusion 215 V Table of Contents (continued) PAGE Advancement Through Achievement Academy Model 215 Community-Based Efforts 217 Notes 219 APPENDIX A. Interview Questions 220 B. Survey Instrument 242 C. Institutional Review Board Letter 249 BIBLIOGRAPHY 166 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. African-American Male Initiative Programs 143 2. The Availability of Financial Aid as a Spending Priority 144 3. The Importance of Programs Designed to Increase the Level of Black Male Enrollment 145 4. The Availability of Financial Aid 145 5. The Importance of Academic Enrichment Programs 146 6. Approaches that Influenced Respondents to Attend College 153 7. What Influenced Respondents to Enroll at Georgia Perimeter College (GPC)7 155 8. Influence Church Had on Respondents Attending College 156 9. The Impact of the Role of Guidance Counselors 156 10. The Impact of the University Presidents 157 11. The Role of Admissions Directors Had on the Focus Groups 157 12. Recruiting 159 13. Affirmative Action Admissions Policies Attitudes 189 14. Best Approach in Influencing Black Males to Attend College 200 15. Influence of Civic Organizations 201 16. Most Important Impact on Black Male Enrollment 202 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem In the African-American community, and for black men in particular, attaining a post-secondary education and its corresponding benefits has proven to be challenging. As of March 2004, nationwide, 17.6 percent of black Americans 25 years and over had attained bachelor’s degrees, representing 16.6 percent of the national numbers as compared to 18.5 percent of their black female counterparts and 32.9 percent of their white male counterparts 25 years and over who had attained bachelor’s degrees.’