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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2

Publication Date: February 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.16097.

Goodwin, P. H., & Okojie, F. A. (2024). The Impact of Campus Residency on Retention of First-Generation African American College

Students at Predominantly White Institutions. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2). 14-32.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The Impact of Campus Residency on Retention of First- Generation African American College Students at Predominantly

White Institutions

Pernell H. Goodwin

Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Felix A. Okojie

Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of campus residency on the

retention of first-generation, African American college student at PWIs. A sample of

20, full-time freshmen students participated in the study. The researchers used in- depth interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the impact campus residency is

having on student retention. All information was self-reported by the participants.

Limited research has been conducted on first-generation African American college

students at Predominantly White Institutions. Study findings supported previous

research in relation to on-campus housing and a sense of belonging. Study showed

that campus residency had impacts on student’s retention as a result of their

accessibility to academic support systems, extracurricular activities, importance of

faculty and staff relationships, peer interactions, and a sense of belonging.

Keywords: African American, campus residency, first-generation, retention,

predominantly white institutions (PWIs)

INTRODUCTION

Many African American students enroll in colleges because they consider a college degree as a

portal to economic empowerment (Lee, 2019). Many students share this belief as they enter

colleges and universities each year. Unfortunately, many students drop out before receiving a

degree. Although degree completion rates are discouraging for students of all races (57.6 %),

the low completion rate for African American students (42%) is more disheartening (Education

Digest, 2018). Statistics from the U. S. Department of Education (2019) reveal that African

American students received only 14% of the bachelor degrees awarded in the United States.

These, along with other statistics about the enrollment and retention of African American

students, drive the need for a better understanding of factors influencing the retention rates of

African Americans and other college students.

Low postsecondary retention rates for African American students have persisted over the

decades despite the desire for an education and increased studies to understand low attrition

rates (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). Other measures are required to understand African

American student retention better and increase the likelihood of college completion. This study

was designed to expand the knowledge of retention of African American students by examining

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15

Goodwin, P. H., & Okojie, F. A. (2024). The Impact of Campus Residency on Retention of First-Generation African American College Students at

Predominantly White Institutions. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2). 14-32.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.16097

the impact of campus residency on first-generation African American students at

predominantly white institutions (PWI). Most retention studies are quantitative, focusing little

on the student perspectives and campus residency (Daykin, 2018). Many quantitative studies

have evaluated the probability of retention based on precollege factors, such as ACT, GPA,

family educational attainment, goal and institution commitment, and family income (Adelman,

1997; Astin, 1982; Sedlacek, 1996; Tinto, 1975; Westbrook & Sedlacek, 1991). Such studies

provide valuable statistical and predictive insight into college student retention and address

additional research needs.

Despite evidence of a positive relationship between campus residency and collegiate outcomes,

prior research has not established a verifiable link. Utilizing propensity score matching and

national longitudinal data, Lauren Schudde (2011) investigated whether living in university- owned housing impacts retention. Results suggested that the impact of living on campus is not

negligible; the probability of remaining enrolled in the second year of college was slightly over

three percent higher for on-campus residents than off-campus residents. Based on these

findings, better understanding of the impact of campus housing programs on academic

outcomes is needed to inform important housing policy decisions. Housing and residence life

administrators at colleges across the country had promotional materials, claiming that living in

university owned facilities improved student academic outcomes. Empirical research has

provided little evidence to support these claims. If living on campus increases student

retention, students who do not live on campus may be disadvantaged. Studies show that

students who live on campus tend to complete more credit hours and have higher grade point

averages (Oregon Tech, 2022). Residential students tend to become more involved with the

campus community, show more significant gains in student development and interpersonal

self-esteem, and persist and graduate more frequently (Grodman, 2021). They have easier

access to campus resources such as the library, labs, support services, and mental health

counseling (Brown, 2022), one reason students who reside on campus during their first year of

college have better grades. The University of Northern Iowa (2010) statistics on the

Department of Residence page showed residential students had higher GPAs at all classification

levels. Students living on campus were almost twice as likely to be on the Dean List and had

higher graduation rates. Students residing on campus for two years were 25% more likely to

graduate than students who only lived on campus during the first year.

This research examined the perceived impact of campus residency on extracurricular activity

involvement, academic success, and retention of first-generation African American students.

The study used a qualitative approach to assess the student’s perspective on collegiate

experiences. The research was designed to provide insight into factors related to student

retention decisions and campus residency.

Study Purpose/Research Questions

This qualitative study assessed and provided a deeper understanding of the impact of campus

residency on retention at predominantly white institutions. The Tinto’s Retention Theoretical

framework guided this study. The research was guided by the following questions (1) How does

campus residency impact academic performance toward the retention of African American

students at PWIs? (2) How does campus residency impact faculty and staff interactions toward

the retention of African American students at PWIs? (3) How does campus residency impact

extracurricular activities toward the retention of African American students at PWIs? (4) How

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 2, February-2024

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

does campus residency impact peer-group interactions toward the retention of African

American students at PWIs?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK/LITERATURE REVIEW

Vincent Tinto (1993) identified three primary sources of student departure: academic

difficulties, the inability of individuals to resolve their educational and occupational goals, and

their failure to become or remain incorporated into the intellectual and social life of the

institution. The Tinto Student Retention Theory Model of Institutional Departure argues that to

be retained, students need integration into formal (academic performance) and informal

(faculty/staff interactions) educational systems. This retention includes formal

(extracurricular activities) and informal (peer-group interactions) social systems. Researchers

have tried determining which factors are essential to the enrollment-retention dilemma for

decades. The need for student retention studies became evident as early as 1938, when it was

noted that an alarming number of students were not completing degree requirements (Cope &

Hannah, 1975). McNeeley (1938) study found that more than 42% of first-year students in 25

universities in 1931 did not complete the degree requirements. A review of 35 studies from

1913 to 1962, Summer skills (1962) found that colleges had only a 40%-degree attainment rate

overall. Additionally, Iffert (1958) found a 25% attrition rate among first-year students. As

studies continued to predict college attrition rates, Pantages and Creedon (1978) forecasted

that approximately 40% of college students would drop out and never return.

After African American students began enrolling at PWIs, researchers started to conduct

studies on their retention and attrition rates at PWIs and found that their attrition is much

higher than the attrition rate of Caucasian students (Astin, 1975, 1978, 1982; Porter, 1990;

Sedlacek & Pelham, 1976). An analysis of students who entered college in 1980 revealed that

Caucasian students had a dropout rate of 41.5% and African Americans had a dropout rate of

63.3% (Porter, 1990).

Although many of the previously all-white colleges began including minority students through

recruitment of “the cream” of the minority students (academically and athletically gifted

students) to attend their institutions, many of those recruited did not have positive campus

experiences (Banks & Dohy, 2019). Even though many of these students were ambitious,

competitive, and seeking positive experiences on PWI campuses, many did not find supportive

environments to assist them in achieving their goals. One issue is the lack of Black faculty

members across the country. Forty-one percent of white males are employed as faculty at

institutions of higher learning and 35% are white females. In contrast, only 3% are Black males

and 3% are Black females (Banks & Dohy, 2019). Those unsupportive environments found at

PWIs resulted in many African American students dropping out of college or, in some cases,

transferring to other schools, which included historically Black colleges and universities

(HBCUs). African American students attending HBCUs expected, and in many cases found,

supportive learning environments (Henry, 2021). Although enrollment of African Americans at

HBCUs continued to fluctuate (an increase of approximately 1% from 1994 to 1995 and a

decrease of 1.9% from 1995 to 1996), the percentage of bachelor’s degrees earned by African

American students (28%) at these historically black institutions remain stable (Henry, 2021).

The goal of student housing at universities across the country has changed in recent years. The

goal is no longer for student housing to simply be a dormitory providing students a place to live

while attending college but to take an active part in the learning on campus. This is a reality