Student reactions to college: A comparative study of samples of Black and White students at a multicampus community college

Two general research questions were postulated for this study: (1) what are the differences, if any, between the reactions of a sample of 150 Black and a sample of 234 White students enrolled in a multicampus community college with regard to the individual items comprising the local option section and each of the nineteen content areas in the Student Reactions to College (SRC) questionnaire, and (2) as stated in item one, a similar comparative analysis of the data was made between samples of 67 Black male and 83 Black female students and for samples of 96 White male and 138 White female students. The total study population was 384 students, part-time and full-time. The instrument used to elicit study data, the SRC, was administered to students during the fall 1990 semester during a regular English class period. Study results indicated that, overall, there was little to no race by gender effect. When the samples of Black and White students were compared, the chi-square analysis showed significant differences on 153 of 165 items. Black students moreso than White students did not perceive their instructors as being effective in explaining material in a way that was comprehensible to them. Black students were not as academically prepared as White students and believed they entered college without the appropriate study skills. Black students spent less time studying than did White students, and a higher percentage of Black than White students believed that the college was not conducive to their scholarly growth. Black students had less interaction with faculty than did White students and believed the college was not supportive of minority students' needs. Black students expressed a greater financial concern than did White students and were more apt to receive a loan. Study findings seem to warrant the conclusion that Black students' needs were not being adequately met through the experiences they had at the college. A series of strategies are recommended to address the low graduation and transfer rates of Black students.