A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATORY STUDY OF BLACK MALE STUDENT ATHLETES’ EXPERIENCES AT A HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY by JOSEPH NEHEMIAH COOPER (Under the Direction of Billy Hawkins) ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify key influences associated with the academic achievement and college experiences of Black male student athletes at a Historically Black University (HBU) in the southeastern United States. An HBU was selected for this study, both because of its unique educational environment and because there is a dearth of research on student athletes’ experiences at these institutions. This mixed methods exploratory study involved an institutional document review, a Student Athlete College Experiences Questionnaire (SACEQ), three focus group interviews, and four in-depth individual interviews. A concurrent triangulation exploratory design allowed qualitative and quantitative data to be collected simultaneously, analyzed independently, and integrated at the interpretation phase (Creswell, 2009). Participants in this study were Black male student athletes who participated in football and/or men’s basketball at the targeted HBU. Data was analyzed using an interpretive interactionism paradigmatic stance to attain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences and perceptions of the participants (Denzin, 2001). Additionally, institutional theory (Powell & DiMaggio, 1991) was applied to highlight key institutional practices at an HBU that contributed to Black male student athletes’ academic achievement and positive college experiences. INDEX WORDS: Black student athletes, academic achievement, interpretive interactionism, institutional theory, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATORY STUDY OF BLACK MALE STUDENT ATHLETES’ EXPERIENCES AT A HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY by JOSEPH NEHEMIAH COOPER B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006 B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006 M.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2009 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2013 © 2013 Joseph Nehemiah Cooper All Rights Reserved A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATORY STUDY OF BLACK MALE STUDENT ATHLETES’ EXPERIENCES AT A HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY by JOSEPH NEHEMIAH COOPER Major Professor: Billy Hawkins Committee: Jepkorir Chepyator-Thomson Jori Hall Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2013 iv DEDICATION First, I dedicate this dissertation to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him I am nothing, but with Him I can accomplish things beyond human measure. Thank you for your unconditional love, unwavering grace, and endless mercy. The purpose of my life is to honor you in everything I do. I also dedicate this dissertation to my Mom. It is because of your unconditional love, support, and guidance over the years that I have reached this point in my life. I love you more than words can express. Thank you for being the greatest Mom ever. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5: 1-5) (NIV) I would like to thank first my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You are my Heavenly Father and my everything. I thank you and praise you for everything you have done and continue to do in my life. I also thank my Mom for her unconditional love, support, and guidance. You have always been and continue to be my inspiration. I thank my brother, Adam, for being the best brother in the world. Your unwavering love, support, and prayers have kept me grounded. I love you more than you know. I want to thank both of my grandmothers, Mama Jo and Mama, most importantly for providing me with a solid spiritual foundation and for always showing me how to lean on the Lord. You are my angels and I am eternally grateful to have you in my life. I want to thank my father for showing me that growth and change are possible and for teaching me the importance of having a forgiving spirit. I thank my dissertation committee--Dr. Billy Hawkins, Dr. Jepkorir Rose Chepyator-Thomson, and Dr. Jori Hall--for their tremendous support, guidance, and vi expertise. I thank my brothers-in-friendship, Michael Newell and Christian Rhodes, for their friendship, support, and guidance. I thank all my friends past and present for helping me grow as person and sharing priceless moments of life with me. I thank all of my teachers, classmates, and colleagues past and present for your role in my personal and professional development. Thank you to everyone who has touched my life in any way, because each of you has helped me reach this point in my life. My eyes will remain on the prize and I will continue to press forward towards my higher calling, which is in Christ Jesus. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................9 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................10 Research Questions 10 Research Questions ....................................................................................10 Significance of the Study ...........................................................................10 Definition of Terms....................................................................................12 Delimitations ..............................................................................................19 Limitations .................................................................................................20 Summary ....................................................................................................21 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..........................................................................22 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) ............................25 The Uniqueness of HBCUs ........................................................................27 Intercollegiate Athletics at HBCUs ...........................................................32 Black Athletic Success at HBCUs .............................................................36 HBCU Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences .............................................41 viii HBCU Football Classics and Basketball Tournaments .............................46 Current Trends at HBCUs ..........................................................................48 Black Male Student Athletes’ Experiences at HBCUs ..............................52 Theoretical Framework: Institutional Theory ............................................56 Summary ....................................................................................................59 3 METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................60 Site Selection .............................................................................................60 Participants and Sampling..........................................................................63 Paradigmatic Stance: Interpretive Interactionism ......................................64 Research Design.........................................................................................69 Data Collection ..........................................................................................76 Researcher’s Subjectivity Statement..........................................................89 Data Management ......................................................................................91 Data Analysis .............................................................................................92 Summary ..................................................................................................111 4 RESULTS ......................................................................................................113 Section I: Institutional Document Review Themes .................................114 Section II: SACEQ Results ......................................................................123 Section III: Focus Group Interview Themes ............................................151 Section IV: In-Depth Individual Interview Themes ................................174 Summary ..................................................................................................223 5 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS ..........................227 Discussion ................................................................................................227