Comparing Campus Environments for Black Undergrads: HBCUs and PWIs

Research has shown that many Black students are failing to complete either a 2- year or a 4-year college degree. (U.S. Department of Education, 2001) Failing to do so places them at a risk of earning a significantly lower annual income compared to those with a college degree, having fewer career opportunities, being incarcerated, not having access to healthcare services, and not being exposed to culturally enhancing experiences that serve to broaden worldviews. Many that attend HBCU’s are often offended at the perceived academic inferiority that HBCUs have in comparison to PWIs.

PWI attendees believe their education is superior to that of HBCU attendees because of the perceived increased workloads and level of rigor in comparison to black schools. The research paper will cover Campus Environments, Black Undergrad Education, and Pros and Cons of attending a HBCU or PWI.

HBCUs were created during a time of segregation when black students could not attend universities that were designated for whites only.

Get quality help now

Prof. Finch

Verified writer

Proficient in: College Education

4.7 (346)

“ This writer never make an mistake for me always deliver long before due date. Am telling you man this writer is absolutely the best. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Though segregation ended over a century ago, the perception stills lingering around historical black colleges and universities. Attending universities students notice culture differences on each campus. A UH freshmen, expressed his thoughts on segregation that is still apparent at UH detailing “we need to abandon the desire to keep the third ward alive for our own ends and resolve the conditions that allow for the third ward in the first place.” (Cameron Leavitt,20) Higher education, in historical and contemporary contexts is viewed as portal through which upward mobility, cultural uplift, racial pride, and community empowerment can be attained.

Historical and contemporary contexts about higher education is saw as a way to increase social levels.

During our nation’s period of enslavement of Africans, learning to read and write bestowed certain privileges within slavery(Woodson, 1919; Cornelius, 1983) During slavery it was not common for slaves to know how to read and write, having these abilities offered slaves the opportunity to expand their powers, literacy was the “forbidden fruit” Literate Slaves were able to teach others, communicate through slave networks, write their own passes to escape from slavery, and even use skills for their careers. (Cornelius, 1983) Many African Americans, used literacy as a pathway to freedom. To write passes to become free and escape slavery. This information gives a historical background before African Americans were aloud to attend a institution. The information goes back to before slavery was abolished and gives reference to how allowing slaves to learn to read and write would access them to teaching other slaves.Blacks were generally denied admission to traditionally white institutions. As a result, HBCUs became principle means for providing postsecondary education to black americans. Today, HBCUs must fulfill educational goals far beyond those initially set.

Students have a better chance of getting a scholarship from a PWI than an HBCU.(McKleny, 2016)“At a time when many schools barred their doors to black Americans, these colleges offered the best, and often the only, opportunity for a higher education.” (President George Bush)
If all in endowments from all HBCUs, they would still have less than 10% of Harvard’s endowment. HBCUs don’t have as much financial support from they alumni so they don’t have money to give out as many scholarships as PWIs.At a PWI, people are more likely to recognize a students school name than at an HBCU (McKleny, 2016 ) Howard University is one of the best HBCUs, but if one says “Howard” there are some people who may not know whether or not that school exists. But if one says “I go to Florida State”, they’ll know what one is talking about.

This can also play a role into getting a job opportunity. Some say if the person at the job does not know much about HBCUs, they would take the person with a Master’s degree from Georgia Tech than a person with a Master’s degree from Clark Atlanta HBCUs sometimes have smaller classes than PWIs (McKleny, 2016). Some also say HBCUs have smaller class sizes than PWIs.this will not always be the case. A HBCU professor may know a student’s name while at a PWI professor’s cannot keep up with the plethora of names with a smaller class size.

HBCUs and PWIs have many pros and cons between the two, from the class sizes, recognizing a schools name, and having a better chance of getting a scholarship in a PWI than a HBCU. Research has shown many Black students are failing to complete either a 2-year or a 4-year college degree. This places them at risk of earning a significantly lower annual income compared to those with a college degree, having fewer career opportunities, being incarcerated, not having healthcare access , and not being exposed to culturally enhancing experiences that serve to broaden worldviews. Studies designed to understand the cause of Black college student attrition are scarce and dated. (family, peers, faculty; Astin, 1975; Graham, Baker, & Wapner, 1985; Lichtman, Bass, & Ager, 1989; Rugg, 1982). Overall, these studies have found that pre-academic history, racial composition, and perceived level of social support influence dropout decisions. Researchers illustrated how racial experiences such as discrimination or lack of cultural congruency on campus can be a stressful experience.

Among the racial/ethnic groups in the United States, there is a lower percentage of Whites, Asians, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders living in poverty ( Webster and Bishaw, 2007 ) compared to Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Indians, and Hispanic. Significant disparities in poverty rates can be correlated with the attrition rates among Blacks versus. Whites Economic benefits of a post-secondary education vary significantly according to level of degree attainment. Retention efforts gained importance during the 1930s as colleges and universities grew in popularity, and individuals recognized the career and mobility benefits of obtaining a degree. In the first, Fries-Britt and Turner (2001) conducted a analysis on 15 Black student (6 males and 8 females) attending a PWI in order to understand obstacles they confronted while enrolled in institutions. The results highlighted three general themes: racial stereotypes, intellectual competence, and physical characteristics (Britt and Turner, 2001) “I was just amazed everyday in sociology…

This white guy told me that all the Black people he knew drank Colt 45. I told him “I know many more Black people than you know, and I can’t think of anyone who drinks Colt 45.”One student reported that when she walked into the classroom with a scarf on her head… several White students started making comments like, ‘Oh, what happened to your hair? And asking her why she was wearing a scarf’. Such comments of course diverted attention away from class subject matter and caused her to feel quite uncomfortable.Empirical research has shown that only three studies have attempted to understand the Black college student attrition phenomenon.

One study addressed the possible influence that race has on the dropout process.As in evident by research on Black student retention, stereotype threat, and Black college adjustment it is necessary to consider how intensely racial dynamics influence the dropout process.