Research Notes: A Closer Look at Race on Campus

In "Nine Themes in Campus Racial Climates and Implications for Institutional Transformation," Harper and Sylvia Hurtado demonstrate the usefulness of qualitative methods. This study provides a synthesis of 15 years of research into racial climates on college campuses, and delineates nine themes derived from a multi-institutional qualitative study. The authors' review of previous research found that minority and White students often have differing perceptions of campus racial climates and that racially diverse campuses tend to be educationally beneficial. Their own investigations brought to light several common themes, like student frustration concerning gaps between talk and action regarding diversity, taboos against discussing race, reputational legacies of racism, and the perception of campus spaces as predominantly White. To address these problems, the authors encourage administrators, faculty, and staff to establish greater transparency in dealing with racial issues and to examine their own institutions to spot potential areas of improvement.

Asking administrators to assess racial concerns on their campuses is just what Harper did in another study. "Realizing the Intended Outcomes of Brown: High-Achieving African American Male Undergraduates and Social Capital" calls attention to the often overlooked positive effects of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka on higher education. Assessments of the effects of that ruling have primarily focused on K-12 schools, and research that has concentrated on higher education has tended to focus on the persistence of racial inequalities. Based on interviews with high-achieving African-American male students nominated by administrators at six large Midwestern public research universities, Harper outlines the ways that these students have access to previously unavailable social capital. After looking at how the students attained their levels of success, a pattern emerged: counseled by older African-American peers, the students often rose to leadership positions in campus organizations, which in turn helped them establish unique and powerful relationships with top university administrators. A great number of the interviewed students reported close ties with university presidents, chancellors, and deans, and one even became a member of his institution's Board of Trustees. This impressive access to information and social networks greatly expands post-college opportunities and highlights the importance of expanding opportunities for higher education. 

Finally, Harper and co-author Andrew H. Nichols remind us that when looking at African-American male undergraduates, it is crucial to consider diversity within the group. Many studies concerned with the experiences of Black male college students overlook their heterogeneity, but Harper and Nichols' research reveals a great deal of self-reported difference. Focus groups involving African-American male students from a small liberal arts college, a midsize religiously affiliated university, and a large research university uncovered a few common themes. There is significant within-group stereotyping, usually based on background (urban vs. non-urban, mostly Black neighborhoods vs. mostly White neighborhoods), and the students tended to stress social and cultural interests over race as the basis for relationships with their peers. They also noted a social divide between athletes and non-athletes, and described how competition for status and recognition on campus often leads to social reticence between Black college students. Given these findings, the authors assert, changes in policy and research should be made to better recognize and contend with diversity within this frequently oversimplified population of students.  

"Nine Themes in Campus Racial Climates and Implications for Institutional Research" in New Directions for Student Services 120; "Realizing the Intended Outcomes of Brown:High-Achieving African American Male Undergraduates and Social Capital" in American Behavioral Scientist, 51(7); and "Are They Not All the Same? Racial Heterogeneity among Black Male Undergraduates," by Shaun Harper and Andrew H. Nichol in The Journal of College Student Development, 49(3).