AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT OF RETENTION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS by DaNine J. Fleming Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Educational Leadership Program SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES YOUNGTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY November 2007 © Copyright by DaNine J. Fleming 2007 All Rights Reserved AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPACT OF RETENTION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS DaNine J. Fleming I hereby release this dissertation to the public. I understand that this dissertation will be made available from the OhioLINK ETD Center and the Maag Library Circulation Desk for public access. I also authorize the University or other individuals to make copies of this dissertation as needed for scholarly research. Signature: ____________________________________________________________ DaNine J. Fleming, Student Date Approvals: ____________________________________________________________ Robert J. Beebe, Ed.D., Thesis Advisor Date ____________________________________________________________ Richard C. Baringer, Ed.D., Committee Member Date ____________________________________________________________ Zara C. Rowlands, Ph.D., Committee Member Date ____________________________________________________________ Renay Scales, Ph.D., Committee Member Date ____________________________________________________________ Peter J. Kavinsky, Dean of Graduate Studies Date DEDICATION In memory of my great grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Geddis, and extended family Mr. and Mrs. Walker Fleming, who were trailblazers from old. Mrs. Oletha Jones Jenkins, my grandmother and one of my first teachers. I am so glad that God saw fit for me to be your granddaughter. You taught me that it was ok to excel as well as to “never rest until my good was better and my better was best”. When I defended my proposal on February 6, 2007, the 2 year anniversary of your death I knew that you were with me. I know God makes no mistakes. I miss you dearly, but I know that you are smiling down from Heaven. Mr. JB White, Sr. my grandfather who knew how to always make me laugh and my sister, Tonya Denise Jenkins Reid….gone too soon but I know that God makes no mistakes. I love you. Mrs. Henrietta Jones, Mr. Christopher Burnham, Sr., Soror Ruth T. Sharp, and to one of Charleston County’s finest Firefighters, the leader of the “Brave Nine” Cpt. Louis Mulkey, gone but not forgotten. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people who have played a part in this long but rewarding journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity. I will never take for granted that He saved me so that I could be a vessel used for His purpose ALONE. I would also like to acknowledge my soul-mate, Travis, who has supported me from beginning to end. You gave me endless love, and the genuine support that I needed to catapult me through the rough spots. God placed you in my life and I love you more than words can say. To my angel on earth, Sydnei LaShon who spent the summer of 2007 on self plan “visiting” trips so mommy could finish her “big paper and homework” I love you very much. All of this is for the two of you. Nothing can stop us now! I would also like to thank my grandfather, Mr. Lawrence Jenkins who turned 90 years old on February 4, 2007. You are the wind beneath my wings. To my major professor, Dr. Robert Beebe, the words “thank you” just does not seem to adequately express my gratitude to you. From our first encounter until this point you have inspired, motivated, and challenged me. I could always count on you to provoke me in thinking deeper, searching further, and looking beyond the surface. I have been fortunate to have you as a major part of my academic career. You have been generous with your time and commitment to my graduate work. You are truly an educational scholar, teacher, mentor, and leader. To my doctoral committee members, Dr. Richard Baringer, Dr. Renay Scales (my sister in Christ and beloved friend), and Dr. Zara Shah-Rowlands, I want to express my gratitude for your time and effort toward challenging my work and me. You allowed me v to comprehend the importance of my educational contributions and I will forever be grateful. To my family and friends, I would like to thank you for your love, support, and interest in my work. Specifically, I want to acknowledge my mother and father, Doretha and Marion Jenkins, grandfather, Mr. Lawrence Jenkins, grandmother, Mrs. Luvenia White, great grandmother, Mrs. Jeanette White, my mother and father in law (second parents), Bettye Jean and Lawrence Fleming, my godmother who showed me that it could be done, Dr. Anna Aikens, my Soror and friend, Mrs. Willette S. Burnham “Are we done yet?” who always had an encouraging word, and my nieces and nephews Donald (Chip), DeAngelo (Buzz), Corteland, Donovan, JaTavia, Lauren, Bettany, Donte, Khelis, and LaQuintis. The pathway has been paved. To my Office of Intercultural Programs family at Slippery Rock University, you continuously pushed me toward my goals. You served as my springboard when I was searching for a dissertation topic and Mr. Robert E. Clay in particular; YOU helped me put things into perspective. You were the ROCK when everything else appeared to be sinking sand. There are no words to express my gratitude. So, when will you join me? To my student, protégée, Soror and friend, Ms. Emelda K. N. Jones, you never refused me the opportunity to use your “new” laptop. You always read information with me; listening to my ranting and even saw the tears of frustration and had an encouraging word…you are the epitome of a finer woman. May you forever be richly blessed. I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to my friends, Dr. Jacquelyn Respress (for all the early morning calls) and Rev. Torrence Respress (thank you for lending her to me), Tamika L. Felder, Paige M. Roper, and Yolanda Crittenden. You have all played some part in my vi success. Your friendship, endless support, and friendly ribbing asking, “You’re not done, yet?” has helped me to realize my goal. Dr. Mounira Morris, what can I say? You not only served as the reader, editor, motivator, counselor, and the list is endless, but you are a true friend. No matter how early or late you provided your HONEST feedback to make sure I excelled. You never allowed me to settle and for that I am eternally grateful. This is a true labor of love that should have both of our names on it. You finished first so that I could walk in the footsteps of a giant. Thank you just does not seem like enough. Dr. and Mrs. Frank Hale, Jr. and Dr. Lee Jones thank you for being obedient to God and helping me when I was a complete stranger. You have shown me the olive branch so that I now am able to lead by example. To my minister, sister in Christ, spiritual support, intercessor and rock, Rev. Berta L. Newsome, God placed you in my life at just the right moment. I can never repay you for all that you have done. Last but not least, my two church families United Faith Fellowship Church of God and Canaan United Methodist Church; I thank God for your love each day. Dr. Elaine Whitlock, the finest editor in the WORLD, thank you for going the extra mile. You are truly a blessing. To my village of supporters, everyone that may seem to go nameless: Thank you and I love you. Last but not least, I thank all of the participants for this study. Without your voices, this project would have never come to fruition. Never let anyone’s dictation determine your destination. May the work that I do always speak for me. vii ABSTRACT There is an expanding body of literature on the retention of students in higher education through programmatic efforts, but there is limited research on African- American students’ perceptions of the impact of retention programs and services at predominantly White institutions. Programs and services are created by administrators, faculty and staff on college and university campuses for the purpose of increasing the retention of African-American students and a diverse student body, but many are based on the professionals’ perceptions of students’ needs. Rarely are programs and services created through dialogue from the student population that will be served or by what I call “listening to the voices” of the students. The premise of this qualitative study is to ascertain if African-American students find retention programs and services beneficial to their persistence on their respective campuses. This study explores the experiences of African-American junior and senior, traditional-aged, full-time, undergraduate students with a grade point average of 3.0 or below exclusively at four predominantly White institutions in Pennsylvania. The experiences of African-American students are different from other groups, including White males, white females and other minority groups. The use of focus groups permits dialogue that enables a researcher to be able to hear first-hand from African-American students giving voice to their personal feelings of the impact of retention programs and services at predominantly White institutions. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES .........................................................................................................