Factors Influencing Student Persistence through Undergraduate Degree Completion: A Case Study of the Social Engagement of Black Students at a Private Historically Black College and University.

Abstract

This qualitative exploratory single-case study examined the social engagement strategies utilized by one HBCU and the influences of these strategies on Black undergraduate students\u27 sense of belonging and social engagement, which have been found to support and improve student persistence. Previous research on Black undergraduate students\u27 social engagement and persistence has been primarily conducted at predominately White institutions (PWIs), with few studies explicitly focusing on social engagement and persistence at HBCUs. The site selected for this study was an HBCU under the pseudonym Fillmore State University (FSU). A qualitative exploratory case study was utilized as this methodology allowed the researcher to answer a how question exploring the complex social phenomena of the influence of the social engagement of Black undergraduate students on student persistence. The researcher collected and triangulated data from individual interviews with seven staff and five student government leaders to understand the institutional strategies utilized to engage students at FSU socially. A survey of 50 Black undergraduate seniors and a focus group of 10 undergraduate students were used to understand the social engagement experiences and the influence of these experiences on student persistence. This study produced four themes and 12 subthemes related to institutional engagement strategies and the impact of these strategies on student persistence based on the viii perceptions and experiences of Black undergraduate students. Based on research findings, social engagement strategies play an integral role in bolstering motivation and a sense of belonging, improving student persistence