Rooted in the Soil: The Social Experiences of Black Graduate Students at a Southern Research University

Southern Research University were examined in a comprehensive survey. The areas explored were: relationships with faculty, students, and the institution. The experiences of Black graduate alumni, 1962-2003, at a major Southern Research I University were examined in a comprehensive quantitative study. The areas explored were: relationships with faculty, students, and the institution. This study was conducted in an effort to explore the experiences of Blacks and to provide an accurate and first hand account of the Black graduate student experiences. The research questions guiding this study were: To what extent did Black graduate students experience social support during their studies? What types of social problems did Black graduate students experience during their studies? The data reported in herein only addresses the research question on social experiences. The study revealed that the social experiences of Black graduate students are different from those of White graduate students. Review of the Literature In the higher education environs of Research Universities, Blacks remain under-represented as students, faculty, and administrators – still invisible women and men against the backdrop of an America educational system where education is a primary route to upward mobility and increased wages (Adair, 2001). Considering that graduate degrees are the new required standard for acceptance into careers that secure one’s middle class status, graduate education has even more significance for Black Americans whose economic status lags behind