Nature of Student Affairs Work at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, The

Journal of College Student Development, Nov/Dec 2006 by Hirt, Joan B, Strayhorn, Terrell L, Amelink, Catherine T, Bennett, Belinda R

This qualitative study examined the nature of work for 70 administrators (67% female, 33% male) who provide services to students at historically Black colleges and universities. Data were collected by administering the National Professional Life Survey (NPLS) that asked respondents about their work, relationships with others on campus, and the rewards they valued in their work. Survey data were supplemented through in-depth one-on-one and group interviews. The nature of work was defined by three dimensions: pace of work, how work gets done, and work environment. Key findings reveal that work for these professionals is challenging, highly stressful, and that enacting change on campus takes time. Perhaps most interesting, there is a fairly entrenched sense of racial uplift among HBCU administrators. The opportunity to encourage success among Black students was considered both a privilege and a reward.

The richness of the system of higher education in America is reflected in its diversity. Campuses differ in a number of ways, but the heterogeneity of institutional types is particularly noteworthy. As of 2000, the Carnegie Foundation identified nearly 4,000 accredited, degree-granting two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the nation (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2000). Of these, 260 are described as research universities, 611 as comprehensive universities, 606 as liberal arts colleges, 312 as religiously affiliated and nearly 2,000 as community colleges. The remainder consists of tribal colleges and specialized institutions such as medical schools and technical or business institutes (Hirt, 2006; Lucas, 1994).

Not included in the Carnegie schema are institutions that fill other niches in the postsecondary system, like campuses that serve minority students odier than Native Americans (e.g., Hispanic-serving institutions [HSIs]). It is difficult to count the number of minority serving institutions as they are captured under several Carnegie categories. Minority serving institutions are colleges and universities that serve a relatively large number of minority students as compared to other mainstream institutions. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are one type of minorityserving institution (Allen, Epps, & Haniff, 1991).

Historically Black colleges, however, are unique in several ways. They can be distinguished from HSIs, for example, in that they were founded specifically to educate African Americans. HSIs, on the other hand, gain such designations simply because they enroll a certain percentage of Hispanic students.

HBCUs were established in the post-Civil War era as a way to support education for Blacks (Allen & Jewell, 2002; Anderson, 1988; Evans, Evans, & Evans, 2002). A series of federal efforts supported the development of these institutions. Many were funded through the Morrill Act of 1890 (Brown & Davis, 2001) that authorized land to be designated for colleges and universities. Some states established separate institutions for Blacks and Whites. These public HBCUs are often cited as the "1890 schools." The establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau represented another major government effort to provide education to Blacks (Brown & Davis; Wallenstein, 2000). The GI Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were two other federal initiatives that influenced the number of African American students attending college (Wilson, 1994).

As a result of federal legislation and funding, the number of historically Black colleges and universities mushroomed over the 20th century. There were nearly 130 historically Black colleges by 1960. Although not all of those have survived, in 2006 there are at least 103 HBCUs in America, representing approximately 3% of all institutions (Anderson, 1988; Evans et al., 2002).

Although HBCUs represent a small proportion of all institutions in the United States, they educate over 14% of Black undergraduate students and confer 28% of all bachelors' degrees earned by African Americans. They offer degrees in subjects ranging from engineering and physics to theology or religion and education to name a few. Most HBCUs are located in the southeast region of the United States and over 50% of them are private institutions (Brown & Davis, 2001; Evans et al., 2002).

The research on HBCUs has been conceptualized in several ways (see, for example, Gasman, 2005, 2006). For purposes of this study, three categories were relevant: (a) expository essays on the development of HBCUs during the post-Emancipation era (Allen & Jewell, 2002; Anderson, 1988; Brown & Davis, 2001; Browning & Williams, 1978; Evans et al., 2002), (b) empirical studies involving students who attend HBCUs (Berger & Milem, 2000; Freeman & Thomas, 2002), and (c) studies on Black faculty and those who teach at HBCUs (Billingsley, 1982; Menges & Exum, 1983; Nettles & Perna, 1995; Padilla, 1994). A review of the literature reveals that most extant sources are of the first order. For example, a number of scholars address the era in which HBCUs were established (Brown & Davis; Browning & Williams; Evans et al.) and their historic significance as the only institutions that educated Blacks in America (Allen & Jewell; Brown, 1999; Browning & Williams).