It\u27s personal : a case study analysis of the strategic management of resources in a historically black University athletic department.

This dissertation is a qualitative case study examination of the strategic management of critical resources in an HBCU athletic program. It begins with a historical overview of HBCUs and HBCU athletic departments focusing on the systemic and societal influences that contributed to the current state of HBCU athletic programs. This dissertation later discusses the influence of a lack of financial resources on HBCU athletic departments further depletes the ability to operate with a competitive advantage. Chapter One focuses on the historic background of HBCUs and their formation as well as the societal influences that depleted critical resources. Chapter Two covers the theoretical background of resource dependence theory and resource based theory as well as the use of those theories in business and in sport. Chapter Three outlines the methods used for this qualitative case study highlighting the unique elements of the study including the use of photovoice, video observations, and photos to capture evidence of a phenomenon. Results from the study identify and introduce the three themes of satisficing, personal attachment and “village” benevolence management practices found in this study

An Oral History of Marching Band Traditions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

This study investigated the development of marching band traditions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as told through the rivalry between Southern University (SU) and Jackson State University (JSU). Marching bands at HBCUs developed a distinct style where pageantry is a priority. These bands have similar pre- and post- game traditions, and an overall spirit of fierce competition. This study is an oral history account taken from interviews with influential band directors from these programs. Band directors from JSU include Dowell Taylor, Paul Adams, Lewis Liddell, and Lowell Hollinger. These band directors all have established reputations as innovators and men with a storehouse of knowledge about the “Sonic Boom of the South” marching band. Band directors from SU include Paul Adams (taught at both universities), Lawrence Jackson, Nathan Haymer, and Kedric Taylor, for similar reasons. This study includes brief histories of each band, including lesser-known insights from directors. Interviews reveal combinations of happenstance and careful planning that birthed traditions such as the famed pre-game “zero quarter” and post-game “fifth quarter” rituals that are now commonplace at HBCU football games. I triangulated stories through multiple accounts, and patterns emerged surrounding the intense rivalry between the programs at JSU and SU. I also investigated stylistic differences between bands in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), as well as the reasons behind these differences. Geographic positioning and cultural differences appeared to be the most relevant causes. Finally, I explored trends from the advent of YouTube and social media. Participants expressed both joy and frustration about these technologies, much of which relates to the uniquely fan-based and competitive world of HBCU marching bands. These stories inform modern music educators about the important role of competition

A New Frontier of the College Alcohol Culture: #SocialMedia

The college alcohol culture glorifies high-risk drinking while minimizing potential negative consequences. A social ecological framework can be used to understand the college alcohol culture in institutions of higher education (IHEs) because the framework provides a synergistic tapestry of multiple factors such as: individual, institutional, and environmental. The role of social media is important to explore as social media has created a new frontier for college students to navigate throughout their college experience. The social ecological framework was used as a guide for this study; to explore the college alcohol culture within social media, specifically Twitter. The tweets in IHE hashtags provided a unique opportunity to simultaneously examine individual, institutional, and environmental factors. The publicly available tweets were retrieved during a college football season because of the growing trend of alcohol sales at college football stadiums. The sample included the IHEs represented in the 2014 football tournaments: Historically Black College and University (HBCUs) Classics, the College Football Bowl, along with the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and III Football Championships. Tweets found in the identified IHE hashtags were used to examine the frequency of alcohol reference terms along with the association to institutional and environmental factors of the college alcohol culture. A quantitative research design was employed, using factor analyses and hierarchical linear modeling. The factors examined in this study included: individual (i.e., alcohol related risk and protective behaviors), institutional (i.e., size of the student population, the NCAA division, and the HBCU affiliation), and environmental (i.e., alcohol sales, availability, and advertising). The majority of the identified IHE hashtags had at least one alcohol reference term in the tweets. Most of the tweets referenced a type of alcohol; beer was the alcohol reference term found most often in the tweets of the identified IHE hashtags. Institutional factors accounted for some of the difference in the frequency of terms. The environmental factor of alcohol sales during football games did not account for a significant amount of variance among the frequency of alcohol terms in the hashtags. Future research and implications for practice are discussed

Teaching Marching Band in Urban Schools

The marching bands at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have entertained millions nationwide with precision, choreography, and musicianship. With the combination of precision-style marching and the African-American music culture, these bands have changed the perception of the football halftime performance. The music graduates of these marching band programs often follow the philosophy taught at their respective alma maters and impart it to their students. While most mainstream high school bands implement corps-style marching, urban high schools incorporate the style of the historically black schools. Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, and Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, are among the schools that garner the attention of sports fans throughout the country. However, there is a shortage of instructional materials related to the historically black college and university (HBCU) marching style. Most marching band resources are centered on corps style because of its popularity in the mainstream. Teaching Marching Band in Urban Schools is a college course for music education majors to equip them to teach the historically black college and university marching band style. As an attempt to measure the effectiveness of the course, a questionnaire was given to a random sample of band directors and liaisons of the HBCU band community. There were fifteen responses out of the forty questionnaires that were requested. Most of the respondents expressed the need for materials and workshops for teaching the HBCU style. Most of the band directors stated that a curriculum for teaching HBCU-style marching would be beneficial. Some favored a course that solely covered the HBCU style, while others favored a mixture of the HBCU style with other styles. Most respondents recommended there should be support and materials on teaching the style on the university level

A Comparative Study of the Marching Bands at Four Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Since the late nineteenth century, marching bands have served as an integral component of the fabric of Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) campuses. In addition to performing for millions of fans annually, HBCU marching bands serve as brand ambassadors for their university\u27s communities. Marching bands at four HBCUs from the southeastern United States comprised the sample for this study. Despite their many successes, each band experiences significant challenges, including declining school enrollment, limited recruitment opportunities, low retention rates, insufficient budgets and staffing, hazing allegations, and increasingly expensive travel costs. More research currently needs to be done that details the negative influences of these challenges. This mixed methods research examines historical data, performance analysis, and the perspectives of HBCU band members, directors, administrators, and alums. To illustrate the experience of the chosen HBCU bands, interviews with current and former band directors and band members will determine their challenges and how the marching band has enriched their lives. This study provides critical development strategies for current and future HBCU band directors to help advance and strengthen their programs

Assessing spectator response to sponsorships at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a strong tradition and football following, yet they struggle financially and lack sponsorship revenue. HBCU fans are understudied, and investigating their behavior would help athletic departments. The purpose of this study was to determine HBCU football consumers’ response to sponsorships. Spectators’ team and university identification, awareness, attitude, loyalty, goodwill, gratitude, and trust of sponsors were examined in relation to purchase intentions and positive word of mouth (WOM) of sponsors. Brand loyalty and gratitude led to increased purchase intentions. Brand attitude, brand awareness, brand loyalty, and goodwill led to positive WOM

Administrator Perceptions of the Organizational Effectiveness and Financial Conditions of Historically Black College and University Athletic Departments.

Research has shown that in comparison to those of predominantly white institutions (PWIs), the athletic departments of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) generate significantly less revenue, and as a result, have fewer resources to allocate toward athletic aid, recruiting, operating, and head coach salary expenses. In general, HBCUs have storied pasts and often have strong football followings. At the Division I level, the neutral-site HBCU football classic games draw large crowds annually. Despite the popularity, it is widely reported that HBCUs struggle in athletic department funding. The financial struggle facing HBCU athletic departments can be explained using Resource Dependency theory. Specifically, as HBCUs are the most under-resourced member institutions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the numbers prove how these institutions do not have the funds to invest in their programs. This study explores how major fiscal issues facing HBCU athletic departments compare to PWI athletic departments, how challenges HBCU athletic department heads face when setting budgets and allocating funds for revenue generating sports, non-revenue generating sports, and operating costs compare to PWI athletic departments, and how the solicitation and generation of revenue compare between HBCUs and PWIs athletic departments. To gather this information, two different groups of participants were interviewed to obtain an independent and insider perspective of the challenges. These groups include independent contractors, conference office staff, and NCAA staff that work with both HBCU and PWI athletic departments but are not employees of HBCUs or PWIs. Phenomenology was the methodological approach for this study as each participant had the opportunity to discuss their unique view of the current financial state of HBCU athletic departments. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews framed around the research questions mentioned above. The empirical material collected from the interviews were transcribed and coded as common themes were found between participant responses. Specifically, events, actions, interactions, and emotions were compared and assigned a coding label so that they could be grouped. This study contributes to the growing body of literature addressing HBCU athletics by providing a holistic perspective of the current financial, budget, and revenue generation challenges facing the institutions

The Transfer Effect: A Critical Race Theory Examination of Black Male Transfer Student Athletes’ Experiences

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of Black male student athletes who transferred from predominantly White institutions (PWIs) to a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the southeastern United States (U.S.). This qualitative case study involved a single focus group interview and two individual interviews with Black male transfer student athletes who were enrolled at a HBCU. Critical race theory (CRT) was applied as a theoretical framework to examine the impact of race and racism on the participants’ experiences within different educational and sociocultural environments. The key research topics of interest included identifying the participants’ reasons for transferring from a PWI to a HBCU and understanding their college experiences at the HBCU. Findings revealed participants’ encounters with various forms of covert and overt racism at PWIs resulted in negative college experiences, which motivated them to transfer to a HBCU. Using tenets of CRT and a thematic analysis procedure, the following two emergent themes were identified: “We Were the Outcasts” and “They Want to See You Succeed.” Implications for policy and practice are discussed

Reducing Library Anxiety in the Information Seeking Behavior Of First Year College Students

This study explored the use of interactive technology to reduce library anxiety in the information seeking behavior of first year students enrolled in a historically Black college or university. Based on the research focus, the following questions were formulated: What are the determinants for reducing library anxiety in first year college students’ information seeking behavior? Related questions were formatted to test the hypotheses and for data collection: (1) Can interactive applications included as part of the information retrieval process decrease library anxiety? (2) Can familiarity, as measured by a pre and post survey, decrease library anxiety? Interactive applications may include virtual and augmented reality, online chat, games and artificial intelligence technology. These are relatively new forms of technology used in education, and research indicates that these technologies promote immersive experiences that can contribute to learning. The research hypothesized that these technologies may also increase familiarity of the library and the related resources, which may reduce library anxiety. This research may provide vital information to higher education administrators and librarians to ensure that all students receive adequate resources to find information needed for their classes and that barriers that prevent progress in student’s education are removed. Keywords: information seeking behavior, library anxiety, virtual reality, augmented realit