ABSTRACT Tommy Gregory Prince. THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ...

179 Pages·2015·0.79 MB·English

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ABSTRACT
Tommy Gregory Prince. THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATORS. (Under the direction of Dr. David J.
Siegel) Department of Educational Leadership, September, 2015.

This study explores the lived career experiences of African American university
development administrators who work at public higher education institutions. In a society that is
growing increasingly ethnically diverse, among other ways, and where college graduates reflect
this increased diversity, it is important that research is conducted concerning ethnic minorities
and members of traditionally marginalized groups who serve within the profession of university
development.
The purpose of this research was to explore career experiences, with particular attention
to recruitment, engagement, and retention factors, as well as participants’ perceptions of efficacy
regarding these efforts. Five participants were selected for this study with the following
characteristics: they all have served within the field of university development for 10 years or
longer and have had more than one employer during their careers. Participants represented a
range of ages (30s through 50s) and were diverse in terms of gender (three males, two females).
Collectively, the five participants had experience working at predominantly White institutions,
HBCUs, and predominantly Hispanic institutions.
This qualitative study utilized the narrative research tradition. Jerlando Jackson's ERA
model was used as the theoretical framework and provided a guide to inquiry. Interviews with
selected participants led to six emerging themes: (1) the pipeline into the profession; (2) on-
boarding and investment; (3) respect leads to loyalty; (4) achieving an all-important balance; (5)
career challenges related to personal demographics; (6) personal considerations and
relational/family issues.
Recommendations for future research included performing research with other ethnic
groups, with multi-racial participants, with other traditionally marginalized groups, and with
Whites who work at non-predominantly White institutions. The potential benefit of structured
entry-level opportunities (ex: internships; graduate assistantships targeting underrepresented
groups in certain areas such as marketing and sales, journalism and public relations), as well as
opportunities for those who “self-select” and work in development offices as undergraduate
students could prove beneficial. The administrator would benefit in terms of recruiting and the
academy would benefit by potentially expanding current academic offerings where there is a
documented need, thus effectively bridging the gap between practitioners and academics.
THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATORS

A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership
East Carolina University

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

by
T. Greg Prince
September, 2015
©Copyright 2015
T. Greg Prince
THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATORS

by

T. Greg Prince

APPROVED BY:

DIRECTOR OF DISSERTATION:_________________________________________________
David J. Siegel, PhD

COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________
Crystal R. Chambers, JD, PhD

COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________
William A. Rouse, Jr., EdD

COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________
Maria C. Clay, PhD

CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP:

_________________________________________________________
William A. Rouse, Jr., EdD

DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL:

_________________________________________________________
Paul Gemperline, PhD
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my loving and supportive family. My wife
Hope’s constant encouragement and my kids’ incessant questions about whether or not I “was
finished with my dissertation” kept me going throughout the grueling, yet rewarding, process. I
also must dedicate this work to my late great-uncle, David Earl Prince. His encouragement led
me to dream beyond not only being the first person in my family to pursue and complete a 4-year
degree, but also a complete master’s degree program and to pursue a doctoral degree as well. I
also want to thank my mother, Dianne Martin, for the role she played in helping me see this
process to the end. Finally, my father, Tommy Prince, was supportive as well in our phone
conversations, and my grandmother, Alma Prince, asked me for progress reports increasingly
this calendar year – an act that definitely kept me motivated to the end. I will be forever grateful
to all those listed above, whether here on Earth or in Heaven above. Thank you.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, I would like to acknowledge the Chair of my dissertation committee, Dr. David J.
Siegel, for his tireless efforts and review of multiple drafts of every single chapter. Without his
incredible eye for detail and commitment to the end product, I would not have completed this
dissertation. Further gratitude must be bestowed upon my full committee. Dr. Maria Clay
served wonderfully as my methodologist and encouraged me to think in directions that I had not
previously considered. Dr. Crystal Chambers definitely helped with the refining language and
multiple considerations needed on this important body of work that could have implications for
an entire industry’s human resources practices, among other possibilities. Dr. W. Art Rouse also
helped with the needed revisions in my work, thus helping bring the final product up to the
doctoral level of scholarship.
Beyond my committee, I must acknowledge the commitment of Dr. Stephen G. Hardy,
who helped me incredibly in terms of getting the thoughts that I had for this work out of my head
and on paper – a considerable challenge for me beyond what might be considered difficult for
others. His expert perspective in having undergone this process earlier in his career proved
motivational and informative beyond what I can describe in words. Finally, Christine Smith’s
countless reads and reviews of my work brought the needed clarity and preciseness necessary in
the appropriate places.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
TITLE .............................................................................................................................................. i
COPYRIGHT .................................................................................................................................. ii
SIGNATURE ................................................................................................................................. iii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... xii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1
Overview ..............................................................................................................................1
Background of the Problem .................................................................................................3
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................5
Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................6
Research Purpose .................................................................................................................8
Significance of Study ...........................................................................................................8
Research Design.................................................................................................................10
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................11
Organization of the Study ..................................................................................................12
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................14
Important Context ..............................................................................................................14
A Brief Review of Public University Funding Since 2000 ................................................17
State Funding of Public Institutions .......................................................................17
Tuition Funding of Public Institutions ...................................................................19
Grant Funding of Public Institutions......................................................................20
Private Donor Funding of Public Institutions ........................................................22
African Americans in Higher Education Philanthropy ......................................................23
African American Faculty in Higher Education ................................................................30
Workplace Factors: A Positive/Negative Theme Construct ..................................30
Mentorship .............................................................................................................31
Bi-Cultural Identity and Marginality .....................................................................32
A Rejection of “Negativism”; Taking Ownership .................................................34
Incorporation ..........................................................................................................34
Expectation of Diversity Interest and Action .........................................................35
Workplace Discrimination .....................................................................................36
Networking and Training .......................................................................................36
Administrative Involvement ..................................................................................37
African American Public Administrators ..........................................................................37
An Identified Need: An Analysis of African American University Development
Administrators....................................................................................................................42

“The Engagement, Retention, and Advancement Model for African Americans in the
Higher Education Administrative Workforce” (Jackson, 2004) ......................................43

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .................................51
Research Design.................................................................................................................55
Context of the Study ..........................................................................................................56
Profile of Ideal Participants ...............................................................................................56
Limitations and Disclosures of the Study ..........................................................................57
Data Collection ..................................................................................................................58