Spaces for Success in Higher Education: Males of Color at an Online Predominantly White Community College

Abstract

As the national agenda is calling for increased completion rates and degree attainments in community colleges, a predominantly White college in the southwestern United States offering a large number of online courses, seeks to gain knowledge of the conditions and initiatives needed to allow success to happen among males of color. Although there is an increased participation in online learning and pursuit of degrees by women and students of color, men of color are no more likely to succeed in the online environment than traditional classroom settings (Jackson, et al., 2008).

The purpose of this case study was to examine the self-reported narratives, beliefs, and experiences of African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latino males in the online environment to gain an understanding of conditions needed within and beyond the online environment where academic success can happen. This study reports how nontraditional and traditional male students of color use technology to obtain their educational goals. Surveys and interviews were used to capture descriptive narratives and experiences of their encounters with web-based learning. The implications of this study provide information for institutional practice and future research about conditions and initiatives for increasing the retention and completion rates of males of color in the online environment.