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Black undergraduate students' educational characteristics, experiences, and outcomes at six predominantly white, State-supported universities were examined in this study. Data were collected from 695 undergraduates by means of questionnaires. Findings show that black students in the study came from high schools where blacks were in the majority, and entered college with established histories of academic achievement. The majority were doing relatively well academically, although their grades were lower than in high school. Frequent exposure to racial discrimination was reported. Many students characterized general relationships between black students and white faculty and staff as negative. However, personal relationships with white faculty, staff, and students were rated good to excellent. Black students also reported that white faculty had difficulty relating to them and tended to avoid interaction with them outside of class. Most students believed white faculty to be concerned about their success but felt that they sometimes evaluated black academic performance unfairly. Socially, black students were at a severe disadvantage. Even though black organizations sponsored activities, over half the students reported infrequent participation in such activities. Most students were reasonably satisfied with the amount of financial aid they received. Finally, despite obvious problems, black students clearly possessed high perceptions of self. (CMG)

Characteristics, experiences, and aspirations of black graduate and professional students at six large and predominantly white state universities were surveyed in 1981. Attention was directed to grade point averages (GPAs), involvement in professional activities, program of study, educational and occupational histories, career choice, relations with peers and faculty, campus race relations, undergraduate experience, personal characteristics, and family background. Findings include the following: 50 percent had GPAs above 3.3 and 58 percent had GPAs above 3.0; 60 percent had not read a paper at professional meetings, 87 percent had not published a paper, and 84 percent had not been awarded research funding; 20 percent felt part of campus life (student activities); 60 percent were under 31 years old, and 25 percent were between 31 and 38 years old; 58 percent responded that professors sometimes involved black students in their research projects and nearly 25 percent said this never happened; 51 percent reported that white students sometimes avoided interacting with them socially, and 34 percent said that this happened often. It is concluded that faculty relations, social isolation, and supportive services may be influential in black student success. (SW)

This report discusses the results of a survey of the characteristics and the social and academic experiences of black undergraduates at eight predominantly white and regionally diverse State college campuses. The majority of the students sampled were freshmen. Major findings are that: (1) black undergraduates did not report markedly unpleasant or decidedly pleasant experiences; overall, students reported on the quality of interaction with white faculty, staff, and students as being slightly better than neutral; (2) most black students encountered some form of racial discrimination on these campuses. These data suggest that the students felt a certain tenuousness in their position on campus. Evidence of this feeling can be found in the fact that the students evaluated interactions with blacks on campus extremely positively, felt that there were not enough blacks in any role on campus, and felt that blacks were not fully a part of campus life. This feeling of their tenuous status no doubt partially accounts for the just above average academic performance of a student group that survey results showed to be ambitious, committed, and equipped with sound college preparation. It could also help account for their sense of alienation from campus life. To alleviate this situation, universities must expand efforts to bring in black faculty, staff, and students, and take more steps to address black students' experience of estrangement. (RDN)

Almost 700 black undergraduates responded to a questionnaire investigating the educational characteristics, experiences, and outcomes of black undergraduates at six predominantly white state-supported campuses. It was found that students in the study entered college with established histories of academic achievement, came from majority-black schools, and now found themselves in the unfamiliar situation of being in a decided minority, with little contact with black faculty staff. The students reported relatively good relations with their peers in the classroom, but little contact outside the classroom. They also reported frequent exposure to racial discrimination, on the part of students, staff, and faculty. Most students believed white professors to be concerned about their success, but felt that the professors sometimes evaluated black academic performance unfairly. Socially, the black students felt at a severe disadvantage. Though most were reasonably satisfied with their financial aid, over a third felt that other support services were unsatisfactory. Finally, despite obvious problems, the students clearly possessed high perceptions of self. Overall, the study revealed a tremendous gap between black student needs on white campuses and the currently existing policies and programs of those campuses. (RDN)

This preliminary report summarizes findings from a study of over 400 black graduate and professional students on eight, majority white, state-supported university campuses nationally. Students reported high professional achievement goals and self-concepts, generally came from families displaying high levels of academic and occupational achievement, and reported above average undergraduate grades and rankings. The findings suggest that the experiences of black students in graduate and higher education are less than optimal. On measures of academic performance, social adjustment, campus race relations, and interactions with faculty, student responses were at best ambivalent--more often negative. Such findings should be seen in relation to the national decline in black student enrollments in advanced study degree programs since the mid-70s and the effect of this trend on the black community. Strategies for ameliorating the campus experiences of black graduate and professional students include: (1) attempts to achieve greater involvement of black students in the informal networks of training programs; (2) increasing the presence of students with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, resulting in a more open institution sensitive to the special needs of black and other nontraditional student populations; (3) the creation of mechanisms facilitating their right to appeal unfair actions or decisions; and (4) ensuring equal access to important professional information and resources. (RDN)