Contributions of African American Faculty on Alumni Goals, Motivation, and Persistence at Predominantly White Institutions

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to explore how African American alumni describe the contributions of African American faculty and peers on goal setting, self-motivation, and ongoing persistence at Predominately White Institutions. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was gathered through interviews and questionnaires from 26 alumni in the South Atlantic Region. Three research questions guided the study: RQ1: How do African American college alumni from PWIs describe the contributions of their African American faculty and peers on goal setting? RQ2: How do African American college alumni from PWIs describe the contributions of their African American faculty and peers on self-motivation? RQ3: How do African American college alumni from PWIs describe the contributions of their African American faculty and peers on ongoing persistence? The study revealed five themes, with a strong emphasis on the sense of belonging. Participants highlighted the importance of African American faculty as role models, contributing to their persistence. The findings, grounded in Tinto's Retention Model of Motivation, suggest the need for retention plans and increased hiring of African American faculty to promote diversity within PWIs. The study's findings reinforced the theory and demonstrated potential for developing retention plans for African American students at PWIs. Additionally, the results advocate for college administrators to enhance cultural diversity by increasing the hiring of African American faculty. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]