Introduction
Since the late 1990s, a substantial body of scholarship has emerged concerning men of color in postsecondary education. Yet, scholars have only recently pursued empirical insights about the status of these students. To inform future research, this article reviews the published scholarship on the success of Black male students. It does so by using the five domains of Black male student success in community colleges proposed by Wood and Harris (2012). The article also identifies knowledge gaps and points out implications for future research.
Findings
Five domains provide a framework for examining factors that influence success for Black men in community colleges: academic, environmental, non-cognitive, institutional, and social. Research suggests that these domains interact prior to enrollment, manifest during attendance, and clearly help shape student success. In this report, we describe each domain and discuss findings that emerged from the literature.
The Academic Domain
This domain encompasses variables that relate to students’ academic experiences and shape academic outcomes. Examples include attending class regularly, academic integration, and attending school full time.
The Environmental Domain
This domain includes factors outside the campus context that influence engagement and success. These factors direct students’ time, attention, and resources away from their college endeavors.
The Non-cognitive Domain
This domain captures students’ affective and emotional responses to social contexts and personal interactions during college. Variables in this domain are psychosocial; they are evident in students’ sense of belonging and self-efficacy.
The Institutional Domain
This domain encompasses institutional structures that shape the ways Black male students succeed in community colleges. These structures include institution type, student services, and faculty support.
The Social Domain
This domain comprises variables relating to students’ social integration. Such variables include whether a student feels connected to the institution or spends time there outside classroom settings.
Knowledge Gaps and Future Directions
The current scholarship is illuminating. But there are glaring gaps in research on the needs and challenges of men on community college campuses who don’t identify as African American.