Browsing by Author "McHargh, Carlton R."

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    Career mobility of Black and White upper level administrators in a predominantly White institution of higher education: a case study
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2010) McHargh, Carlton R.; Erevelles, Nirmala; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Today, more than half a century after Brown v. Board of Education, many institutions of higher education, particularly predominantly white institutions (PWIs) are still grappling with issues related to increasing diversity. And while many Institutions of higher education (IHE) now boast large numbers of students from diverse backgrounds, the same cannot be said of the diversity of upper level administrators particularly within PWIs. However, what research has shown is that most IHEs desire and value diversity. However, the means of achieving diversity are many, varied and contested. This study attempted to add to the body of existing literature on diversity within PWIs by drawing upon narratives of Black and White upper level administrators on issues of hiring and career mobility. By contrasting the careers of Black and White upper level administrators within one PWI in the southern United States, this study explored through their narratives what those narratives tell us about the impact of race on the processes of recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining upper level administrators within the PWI. NVIVO 7 was used to code and organize the interviews. The interpretation of the findings was framed and viewed through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Specifically, CRT was used to understand ways in which the political category of race impacts the hiring and career mobility of Black upper level administrators compared to their White counterparts within the PWI. The ideas of CRT were used not only in interpreting the findings of this study, but in framing it as well. More specifically, this study examined the effects of race and explored how race is deployed and experienced at the individual, institutional and to some extent, societal levels as evidenced in the narratives of the participants in this study.
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    College experiences for GED students
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Boykin, Coretta Latristaca; Holley, Karri A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The White House College Completion Agenda encourages higher education institutions to increase the number of students completing an undergraduate degree by the year 2025. Given the external context of economic uncertainty and limited resources, these tasks are daunting for associate's colleges with a history of low retention and completion rates and with an enrollment primarily of non-traditional students. GED students are among the collection of non-traditional students who face challenges of retention and completion in postsecondary education. Over the past decade, this body of students has increased enrollment in two-year associate's colleges. Thus, understanding how GED students experience postsecondary education can increase the retention and completion rates of American college students. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the experiences of students who completed a GED and then enrolled at a two-year associate's college in the Southeastern region of the United States. Qualitative research methods were carried out by conducting individual interviews and document analysis. This study used qualitative inquiry to address the following research questions grounded in Astin's I-E-O model: 1. How do GED recipients experience the academic demands of an associate's college? 2. What role do student involvement and personal characteristics have in the experiences of GED recipients enrolled in an associate's college? 3. What role does the college environment have in the experiences of GED recipients enrolled in an associate's college? After analyzing the study's data, three themes (Preparedness, Involvement, and Location) and four subthemes (Family, Time, Small Settings and Distractions) developed. In conclusion, the college experience of GED recipients can be improved by enriching academic learning prior to college enrollment and responding to financial, family, and employment obligations.
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    The underrepresented minority: African American rural students and their access to higher education
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Hall, Schernavia; Erevelles, Nirmala; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of African American students from the rural region of Alabama commonly known at the Black Belt and how the resources they received helped them prepare and gain access to higher education. The purpose of this study was to examine how factors such as rurality, race and class impact rural African American students access to higher education. Rural African American students are an underrepresented population within the realm of higher education and their experiences are often missing from research. The aim of this study is to provide greater insight into the barriers rural African American students face accessing higher education. Through individual in-depth interviews, this study examined the educational experiences of six African American students and their reflection on living in a rural community, schooling and ways they navigated the college enrollment process. This study adds to the limited literature on the experiences of rural African American students and college access. Results of the study reveal how the intersectionality of rurality, race and class must be considered when addressing the college access problem for rural African American students.