How Black Males in Undergraduate Engineering Programs Experience Academic Advising

Abstract

It is well-known and documented that despite a plethora of efforts by institutions to broaden participation in engineering, the representation, retention, and degree completion of Black males in engineering continues to lag. Coupled with a lack of representation, there is also a dearth of research that has sought to understand the experiences of Black males in engineering. In this chapter, through the lens of Hildegard Peplau's (1991) interpersonal relations theory, we sought to explore the experiences of nine undergraduate Black male engineering majors with academic advisors. Academic advisors are strategically positioned in higher education settings as guides to help students navigate college culture, policies, and procedures. Using thematic analysis, three salient themes emerged: “spots are limited,” building their own “advising team,” and prescriptive perceptions. As institutions imagine routes for broadening participation in engineering, they might also consider how they support advisors and encourage relationship development between students and advisors.

Citation

Ash, B., Berry, I., Slack, T., Benjamin, L.S. and Henderson, J.A. (2023), "How Black Males in Undergraduate Engineering Programs Experience Academic Advising", Hines, E.M. and Fletcher, E.C. (Ed.) Black Males in Secondary and Postsecondary Education (Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education, Vol. 9), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 295-313. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-231720230000009017