student affairs professionals and their influence on the academic resilience of underprepared a

236 Pages·2015·1.4 MB·English

by  Genyne Royal

WHAT SHALL I GIVE MY CHILDREN? STUDENT AFFAIRS
PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE
ACADEMIC RESILIENCE OF UNDERPREPARED
AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS
A Dissertation
by
GENYNE LYNETTE ROYAL
Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
of Texas A&M University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Chair of Committee, Christine Stanley
Co-Chair of Committee, Fred Bonner
Committee Members, Jean Madsen
Dave Parrot
Ben Welch
Fred M. Nafukho
Head of Department,
May 2015
Major Subject: Educational Administration

Copyright 2015 Genyne Lynette Royal
ABSTRACT
Currently and historically, the significant gap in educational achievement
between Black and White students in P-20 education has influenced the access,
persistence, and graduation rates of African Americans in higher education. Although
much of the existing literature on developmental learning addresses students’ academic
deficiencies, this study utilizes emotional intelligence as a theoretical frame to assess the
role of Student Affairs professionals in the development of academically resilient
characteristics. This qualitative study explores the relationship between underprepared
African American students and Student Affairs professionals to identify the practices,
culture, and collaboration with faculty that promote student learning. This study expands
existing research on the influence of Student Affairs practitioners, with special emphasis
on how they contribute to academic resilience. This study has both social justice and
educational attainment implications for underprepared African American student
populations. In addition to contributing to academic programs that educate future
Student Affairs professionals, this study generates a working hypothesis related to the
importance of faculty and Student Affairs professionals who are responsible for the
emotional, social, cultural, and intellectual development of students, all of which are
factors in academic resilience and intellectual development.
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DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my motivation, my inspiration, and she, responsible for my
professional enculturation.
To my motivation, my godchildren:
Kumasi Cruse, Jr.
Ayana Myrick
Zhada Myrick
Zachary Shelton
Clarke Fleming
Casey Fleming
May this work help change the futures of many young scholars much like each of you. I
am so proud of you for who you are, and who you have yet to become.
To my inspiration, my maternal grandmother and my godmother:
Thelma L. Osborne
To my Nana. The first in her family to earn a high school diploma, and the one to always
encourage me to “get all the education”, that I can. I hope this work honors you.
Ethel Sims
There are no words to fully convey how much I miss you. I carry you with me always.
For my professional enculturation, my soror and very first mentor:
Carol Gartrell
My first mentor, and the most significant student affairs professional to
influenced my life. You are the first professional who never saw my flaws or failures as
an indication of who I was, but rather who I could become. Thank you for being the
model for my own work, and career.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I thank God for bringing me through a past of “she will never
be” and “she is a problem”, to my present, which shows promise, power and unlimited
potential. All things are possible in Him, and I am eternally grateful.
Second, I must acknowledge my family for all of their love and support. My
parents, Gene and Cassandra Royal have seen me through some of the most challenging
days of my life. To be honest, in my youth, I was likely the cause of many of their most
challenges as well. Despite it all, I thank you for always being there. Thank you for
never giving up on me, and praying the best for me, even when others told you things to
the contrary. To my sister, Dr. Camika A. Royal, thank you for being one of my first
friends, and now, my sister scholar in the academe. And to my grandparents, aunts,
uncles and cousins, I thank each of you for your support and prayers.
To my Shaw University family who have encouraged me, and motivated me
since the fall of 1991 to this present day, I thank God for each of you. Many of you have
become yet another branch on my family tree, and I thank you and love you all. While
this work kept me from many of you during special seasons in our lives, I hold you in
my heart always. May this work honor you, and our alma mater. Thank you to each of
you who count this accomplishment as a victory for us all. And may Johnny and Alim
get to see every word from wherever they are.
To my sorors of the Alpha Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, you ladies are one
of the greatest gifts that I never expected to have. Thank you for being examples of our
greatness as Black women, and being the exceptional doctors, lawyers, scholars,
teachers, mothers and wives, that we hear of too little. I must especially thank my line
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sisters, who have been some of my best friends in adulthood. A special thank you to Dr.
Virginia Wright and Terri Belle, whom I may not have made it without.
I thank all of my former students, some of whom may find themselves in this
work. Thank you for allowing to travel a distance on this road in your lives, and I am
always truly blessed when you count me amongst those who have helped you achieve. I
hope my example shows you what you are capable of becoming. To those who have
given me the title of “mentor” as a result of our time together, I truly thank each of you
for what I learned, and continue to learn from each of you. While there are too many of
you to name, I would be remiss if I did not thank Ullin Rigby, Ihsan Mujahid, Erica
Campbell, Venice Garner and Chelsea Bridgewater, who provided a sense of normalcy
during a time that was anything but that. To each of you, who are members of the self-
professed “Team Royal”, I love you beyond measure. Continue to pay it forward.
To my dissertation committee, I am eternally grateful for the years of challenge
and support. Thank you for stretching me, and seeing something in me that I am only
continuing to realize. Fred Bonner for your charismatic push, encouraging me to get into
the program. Christine Stanley, thank you for your tenacious push to help get me out!
Jean Madison, thank you for your encouragement to do “it” better, and for always being
willing to show me just how to that. Dave Parrott, thank you for my new love affair with
higher education law, and a new example of gracious student affairs leadership. And
thank you, Ben Welch for being the best “cheerleader” any doctoral student/candidate
could ask for.
Finally, I my thank all of my Texas A&M family. Thank you for allowing me to
serve, to lead, and grow. To my BGSA family, members of my team on the Graduate
Student Council, and to Drs. Karen Butler-Perry, Bryan Cole, Mary Alfred and Brian
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Williams thank you for all that you are and all that you helped be become, and as
always, Gig’em!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ ii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................ iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ vii
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... x
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER
I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem ................................................................. 4
Origin of the Problem ....................................................................... 5
Significance of the Research ............................................................ 6
Researcher’s Relationship to the Problem ....................................... 6
Limitations of the Study ................................................................... 9
Delimitations .................................................................................... 10
Definition of Terms .......................................................................... 10
II LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 13
Understanding Underpreparedness................................................... 13
Developmental Education in the Academy ...................................... 15
Academic Risk to Academic Resilience .......................................... 17
Understanding Academic Resilience ............................................... 19
Postsecondary Access and the Impact on the Quality of Life .......... 22
African Americans and Higher Education Access ................... 23
Access, Persistence, and Graduation Rates .............................. 24
Expansion of Human Resources ............................................... 26
Adequate Support ..................................................................... 27
Degree Attainment and Quality of Life .................................... 29
Student Affairs and Student Development ....................................... 29
Theoretical Framework .................................................................... 36
Student Development Theories ................................................. 36
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CHAPTER Page
Intelligence Theories................................................................. 39
Emotional Intelligence .............................................................. 42
Chapter Summary ............................................................................. 44
III RESEARCH METHODS ....................................................................... 46
Statement of the Research Question ................................................. 46
Theoretical Tradition ........................................................................ 48
Site and Sample Selection ................................................................ 51
Site ............................................................................................ 51
Big State University .................................................................. 54
Prestige Regional University ................................................... 55
Greater State University............................................................ 57
Sample ...................................................................................... 60
Researcher’s Role Management ....................................................... 62
Entry.......................................................................................... 63
Ethics ........................................................................................ 64
Data Collection Techniques ............................................................. 65
Interviews.................................................................................. 65
Observations ............................................................................. 66
Managing and Recording Data ......................................................... 66
Assuring Trustworthiness ................................................................. 67
Data Analysis Strategies ................................................................... 69
Chapter Summary ............................................................................. 70
IV RESULTS ............................................................................................... 72
Summary of Methods ...................................................................... 72
Case One: Prestige Regional University .......................................... 78
Institution and University Setting ............................................ 78
The Students ............................................................................ 80
Student Affairs Participants ...................................................... 93
Findings ............................................................................................ 97
Institutional Connections .......................................................... 97
Perceived Challenges................................................................ 102
Service Model Versus Developmental Model .......................... 103
Meaningful Student Engagement.............................................. 107
Discussion ........................................................................................ 109
Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................ 112
Case Two: Big State University ...................................................... 116
Institution and University Setting ............................................ 116
The Students ............................................................................ 118
Student Affairs Participants ..................................................... 127
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CHAPTER Page
Findings ............................................................................................ 129
Student Affairs Curriculum ...................................................... 129
Student – Student Development Connection ............................ 135
Institutional Inclusive Learning ................................................ 143
Setting Expectations for Students ............................................ 149
Senior Leadership .................................................................... 153
Discussion ........................................................................................ 157
Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................. 161
Cross-Case Analysis ......................................................................... 162
Identifying Challenges Prior to them Manifesting..................... 1 62
Involvement, Engagement, and Student Learning .................... 165
Community, Campus Culture, and Collaboration .................... 168
Chapter Summary ............................................................................. 171
V INTERPRETATION, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND
CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................... 173
Findings ............................................................................................ 173
Research Question One ............................................................. 173
Research Question Two ............................................................ 177
Research Question Three .......................................................... 180
Research Question Four ............................................................ 183
Relation to the Literature .................................................................. 188
Academic Underpreparedness ................................................. 188
Student Affairs Practitioners and the Field ............................... 190
Relation to the Theoretical Framework ............................................ 191
Recommendations for Practice ......................................................... 202
Underprepared Students ............................................................ 207
Recommendations for Future Research ........................................... 210
Recommendation One............................................................... 210
Recommendation Two .............................................................. 211
Recommendation Three ............................................................ 211
Conclusions ...................................................................................... 212
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 214
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................. 222
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................. 223
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................. 224
APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................. 225
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE Page
1 National Six-Year Graduation Rate, by Race ................................................ 25
2 University of Southern State System Higher Education Institution
Information .................................................................................................... 52
3 Regional Data for Institutions in the University of Southern State
System ............................................................................................................ 57
4 Data on the Southern State Systems’ Historically
Black Colleges and Universities .................................................................... 58
x