Date of Award

12-2022

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Education Leadership

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation explored the academic experiences of Black male doctoral candidates in "All-But-Dissertation" (ABD) status at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Historical explorations of the enrollment and persistent patterns among Black male students have shed light on the disparate graduate school completion rates (Lewis et al., 2004; McCaskey et al., 2016; Patterson-Stewart et al., 1997). While previous literature has focused on Black male doctoral students (Davis, 2003; Jackson, 2003; Noguera, 2003; Ogbu, 2003; Scott et al., 2012; Smit, 2012), there has been insufficient literature focused on the academic experiences of Black male doctoral candidates who have completed their coursework, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation proposal hearing, resulting in the "All-But-Dissertation" (ABD) status ((Jackson, 2003; Maton, & Hrabowski, 2004).

This research investigation is a continuum of the foundational work of Scott and Johnson (2021). Their research explored the intersections of race and gender in the academic experiences of Black male doctoral students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) that contributed to their delayed terminal degree completion. They found that racialized dynamics experienced by Black male doctoral candidates at PWIs negatively influenced the doctoral students' self-esteem and diminished motivation to complete their doctoral studies. Hence, through their research participants' narratives, three core themes emerged that illustrated the salience of race in the doctoral program experiences of Black males: Underrepresented and Undervalued, Challenging Transitions, and Gendered Racism.

Ultimately, participants in their study described challenging transitions at each stage of their doctoral program, contributing to prolonged ABD status. One of their recommendations was to inquire about the experiences of Black male doctoral students in the ABD status within an HBCU context. Participants in their research offered insights into the institutional policies and procedures that can be implemented to support Black men within campuses owing to the fact that racism is endemic to education. "Intentional exploration of the experiences of Black male students enrolled in online doctoral programs, executive programs and other types of programs have emerged" (Scott & Johnson, 2021, p. 184). Nevertheless, additional research is needed to provide a holistic understanding of the experiences of Black males in ABD status at HBCUs, HSIs, and other distinct institutional contexts.

Hence, the purpose of this research was to explore how the COVID-19 global pandemic had shaped the progress of Black male doctoral students in All-But-Dissertation status at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This analysis interrogated the relationships between race, gender, and graduate program outcomes, specifically at the dissertation stage of doctoral education. The theoretical principles of this research were rooted within the tradition of phenomenology. This form of analysis was not limited to the investigation of "sense data" or realities that are objective in a material sense but rather had as its subject matter the familiar world of conscious experience (Schutz, 1967). These discrete experiences, therefore, constitute and thus have meaning, comprehending and making sense of one's present situation (Seidman et al., 1983).

Simply put, phenomenological inquiry focuses on the question: "What is the structure and essence of the experience of a phenomenon for an individual?" (Patton, 2002, p. 69). The

phenomenon being experienced may be an emotion-loneliness, jealousy, or anger. The phenomenon may be a relationship, a marriage, a job, a program, an organization, or a culture (Patton, 1990). HBCUs were established to bring relief to African Americans who were systematically excluded from formal education due to slavery, racial segregation, and discrimination (Bonner, 2001). These institutions have maintained a very close identity with the struggle of Blacks for survival, advancement, and equality in American society (Bonner, 2001). However, in recent times, due to the existence of unique student characteristics (such as sexual orientation, political affiliation, and self-identity attributes) in relation to the conceptualization of racial identity, it is advantageous for HBCUs to identify retention and matriculation measures for Black male doctoral candidates within these institutions (Webb et al., 2018).

Thus, this dissertation contributes to the literature by expanding the understanding of the academic experiences of Black male doctoral students with ABD status at HBCUs during the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis. It also focused on the racialized encounters experienced during their graduate study experiences that impacted their ABD status and program attrition. Hence, the study will offer campus administrators and faculty the strategies to consider in extending support structures to promote degree attainment among Black male doctoral students amidst severe global, environmental, and societal crises.

Keywords: Black, males, ABD, doctoral candidates, HBCU, COVID-19 Pandemic

Committee Chair/Advisor

Fred Bonner II

Committee Member

William H. Parker

Committee Member

Terrence Kidd

Committee Member

Stella Smith

Committee Member

Dorie Gilbert

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

© 2021 Prairie View A & M University

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Date of Digitization

11/13/2024

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

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