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

The expository pieces on the purpose and development of HBCUs divulge that the mission of HBCUs has changed over time. Initially, HBCUs provided elementary education (Anderson, 1988). Over time, there were needs for higher levels of schooling. HBCUs evolved to meet those needs eventually offering college-level curricula. As such, they promoted and trained leaders for the Black community (Barthelemy, 1984; Brown & Davis, 2001; Browning & :Williams, 1978). Currently, their mission is to provide high quality educational opportunities to a diverse pool of students (Evans et al., 2002; Garibaldi, 1984). Yet, most HBCUs maintain a commitment to their historic roots of educating Black students (Allen & Jewell, 2002).

The second body of work focuses on the students who attend historically Black colleges. These studies cover a broad array of topics ranging from persistence (Cross & Astin, 1981) to graduation (Wilson, 1994) and college choice of African American students (Freeman, 2005). Some examine background characteristics of such students. For example, HBCU students are more likely to have been raised in Black neighborhoods and to have attended Black high schools (Freeman & Thomas, 2002).

Recent studies compare HBCU students to their counterparts at predominately White institutions (Kim, 2002; Watson & Kuh, 1996). For instance, Black students who attend HBCUs develop significantly higher levels of self-concept than those who attend PWIs (Berger & Milem, 2000). Though a number of studies suggest that differences exist between Black students at HBCUs and those at PWIs (Berger & Milem, 2000), other investigations have found no statistically significant differences between the two groups (Bohr, Pascarella, Nora, & Terenzini, 1995).

Yet another line of inquiry relative to HBCUs focuses on their faculty members. These studies tend to highlight the experiences of HBCU faculty or to examine the issues related to Black faculty rewards such as salary structures (Allen, Epps, Guillory, Suh, & Bonous-Hammarth, 2000; Billingsley, 1982). Other works address specific challenges faced by HBCUs to recruit and retain strong faculty members (Billingsley; Nettles & Perna, 1995).

Still other studies report on the worklife of minority faculty members. Faculty of color are less likely to be tenured, spend more time on teaching and administrative duties than research, and tend to have lower academic rank than their White counterparts (Astin, Antonio, Cress, & Astin, 1997; Nettles & Perna, 1995). Findings also suggest that faculty of color fulfill additional roles as advisors and mentors (Menges & Exum, 1983; Padilla, 1994).

Although researchers have studied students and faculty members, they have yet to focus on student affairs administrators at historically Black colleges and universities. Indeed, few researchers have explored the nature of worklife for administrators in any campus setting. An extensive review of the literature revealed only one investigation on administrative worklife, and that study was an exploration of work at liberal arts colleges (Hirt, Amelink, & Schneiter, 2004). Clearly there is a need for data on professional life for administrators at other types of campuses. HBCUs, with their entrenched commitment to educating Black students, offer a unique setting in which to examine administrative work: many professionals on these campuses serve students directly or manage the delivery of services to students.