Faculty Perceptions of Black Students’ Experiences in STEM at HBCUs

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the perception of STEM faculty of Black students’ successes and barriers in STEM attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU). A qualitative approach was used by conducting semi structured interviews with STEM faculty (N = 15) across different HBCUs to engage in an in-depth data collection process to gather data on their insights related to Black students’ experiences in STEM. Utilizing Interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), three major themes were constructed from the interviews: (1) Perceived challenges for HBCU students in STEM, (2) The role of faculty in students’ persistence in STEM, and (3) Factors helping HBCU students’ persistence in STEM. This research will contribute to the research literature on the recruitment and retention of Black students in STEM by exploring faculty’s perceptions and experiences in STEM, particularly at an HBCU. The results of this study can be used to enhance the recruitment and retention of Black students, specifically at HBCUs.