Date
7-15-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Breck Perry
Keywords
Keywords: diversity, inclusion, historically Black college and university (HBCU), hermeneutic, non-Black students, phenomenology
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Tyler, Gary Aaron, "Non-Black Students' Perceptions of Diversity and Inclusion at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5794.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5794
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand diversity and inclusion through the experiences of non-Black students attending a historically Black college and university (HBCU). Diversity referred to the integration of various racial and ethnic groups, and inclusion referred to conditions on campus that reflect practices and relationships that produce a feeling of being valued, respected, and supported by the institution and peers. The theory used in this study was Tinto's theory of integration, as it examined the existential experiences of students who integrate into an HBCU campus. This study's central research question asked: What are the integration experiences of non-Black students engaging in diversity and inclusion on campuses of HBCUs? This study implemented qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology. The participant pool consisted of 14 undergraduate students attending an HBCU in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Criterion sampling was used to create the participant pool. Data was collected using individual interviews, a focus group interview, and protocol writing. Data analysis in this study utilized Saldaña's two-cycle coding. During data analysis, six major themes emerged that answered the central research question: academic integration, social integration, coping strategy, diversity barriers, influences on college decisions, and opportunities.
