Retaining African Americans in Higher Education

"White academics who seek social justice need to read this book and act on it. Its fourteen articles include statistics, political critique, personal agony, motivational reflection, and detailed proposals. This is not another detached study of someone else's 'problem.' In this book Black academics address directly the painful inequities which institutional and personal racism creates in higher education. The [author's] recommendations hold out the hope of developing the internal strength to withstand the social contradictions of the American economic and political system. If the book has a flaw, it's the title, which is far drier than the content of the book it names. The statistics and analyses are all here, but some selections such as Kipchoge Kirkland's 'Dual Consciousness: A Brother's Response to the Academy' could also be a hit on BET. The passion, the pain, and the hope make this book far more readable than many others produced for academic audiences. I already have plans for using it at my college. I hope others will do the same."

Teachers College Record

"[This is] a timely and novel approach to a critical topic. Original thinking is needed because, despite numerous suggestions for closing the gap, retention in higher education continues to be lower for African Americans than for whites. This book makes several important contributions to our understanding of the issues....Most of the authors appropriately recognize that retention is a process that involves transitions between different positions and statuses. (A) strength of this work is that, consistent with Jones' stated goals, most authors conclude their essays with practical recommendations. Taken together, these recommendation offer a comprehensive assessment of the issues influencing the retention of African American students, faculty and administrators."

The Journal of Higher Education

"This book represents diverse and proactive discussion of one of the most important issues in higher education."

Alexander W. Astin, Allan M. Carter Professor & Director, Higher Education Research Institute

UCLA

"This book is one of the few current resources available that engages issues for students, faculty and administrators in one volume. The chapters address a variety of important perspectives and approaches to continuing challenges facing African Americans in the higher education of the 21st century."

Darryl G. Smith, Professor

Claremont Graduate University, School of Educational Studies

"This refreshingly clear and focussed book presents a diverse and comprehensive Afro centric discussion of issues related to the access and retention of African-American faculty, administrators, and students in higher education. This invaluable resource should be required reading for educators and others who are interested in better understanding the many challenges that African-Americans face in higher education."

M. Rick Turner, Dean, Office of African-American Affairs

University of Virginia

"This book provides a strong but balanced accounting of the who, why, and what of the academy. It lays out unrefutable evidence showing that African Americans are missing from the academy's faculty, student and administrative ranks. It demonstrates a keen understanding of what colleges and universities must do to remedy this situation."

Mimi Wolverton, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology, College of Education

Washington State University

"This is an important contribution, in large part because the authors use a balanced, reasoned, well-documented approach to illuminate the key issues that must be addressed to promote the success of African Americans in higher education."

George D. Kuh, Professor and Director, National Survey of Student Engagement, Center for Post secondary Research and Planning

Indiana University

"This book makes valuable additions to the sparse literature on the status of the African American faculty administrators and students in higher education. The practical suggestions for retention can be implemented by any institution to promote success."

Barbara Mann, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Higher Education and Director of Mel Hardee Center

Florida State University