Faculty-Student Interactions as Experienced by Black Engineering and Computer Science Students

Previous literature indicates that Black engineering and computer science students face unique challenges. However, we know little about the active and inactive ways that Black students engage in their interactions with faculty members. We present an interpretative phenological analysis (IPA) of five interviews of Black engineering and computer science students to answer the question: How do Black students experience faculty-student interactions in computer science and engineering education? Through our analysis, we present four themes that characterize the experiences of our study participants: (1) Experiencing painful isolation from faculty and peers, (2) Facing increased pressure to succeed, (3) Seeking and finding connection with faculty and peers when faced with isolation, (4) Understanding themselves inside their respective programs. By comprehending the pervasive and hidden storylines influencing the interactions between faculty and Black students in computer science and engineering, faculty members can gain insights into how their actions can contribute to the success of these students.