Nevitt Sanford’s theory of college student development teaches us that when students are given the right balance of challenge and support, growth is possible. As higher education professionals, we strive to consider all aspects of a students’ development-- cognitive, emotional, psychological, and academic. We are asked, in part because of Nevitt Sanford, to intentionally challenge and holistically support students. But does Sanford's theory of student development take into account the considerable challenge that many of our students encounter just by showing up? Do we, especially at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs), truly understand the challenges presented by our educational places and spaces? Historically Black Colleges and Universities offer some students, often Black students, the opportunity to minimize the ambient challenges they carry with them onto campus and experience college without that additional, and rarely addressed, weight.
Sarah Stowens
To be clear, the broader need for HBCUs is not the focus of this article. I am focused on the critical importance of HBCUs for student development specifically and what PWIs and other institutions can learn from their structures of support and commitment to student empowerment. The need for HBCUs was established in 1837 with Cheney University’s founding along with the land grant institutions that were founded with the Morrill Act of 1862. While the need for HBCUs continues to be discussed, in my mind, the discussion is settled. HBCUs are necessary.
College presents a multitude of challenges for students on campuses all around the country every August. Yes, of course, college is full of exciting opportunities, but students are also met with all manner of different pressures and expectations they might not have experienced before. There is a bevy of professionals on campus who stand ready to support students through all of their experiences— faculty, staff, administrators and even other students are available to provide support in and outside of the classroom through the stress that college can provoke. And we know that stress runs rampant on our campuses. In fact, a 2019 study reported that 87% of college students felt overwhelmed by their responsibilities in school. It would seem from this statistic that our students feel the challenge acutely.
Students of color on predominately white campuses need support differently that 87% statistics might imply. The ambient challenges some students of color may face include issues that our white students do not— issues like the lack of representation among faculty, staff and administration, being tokenized during conversations, feeling a need to explain cultural expressions, the aggregate stress of institutionalized and structural racism, and constant microaggressions, performative statements and/or outward racism.
Students of color need additional protective support mechanisms to combat the additional strain that they can feel on a predominately white campus. Maybe we need to rethink what challenge and support looks like as we strive towards growth. While 87% of all college students feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, a recent study found that students of color felt less prepared, out of control, angry or overwhelmed than do white students. Those feelings of stress and frustration can grow from many places, but Black children have a higher likelihood of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) because of structural and institutionalized racism which, as they grow up can certainly have an impact on how our students arrive on campus. If we are not specifically considering the lives of our students before they come to our campuses as we design policies and procedures, we may inadvertently exacerbate the inequities that pose challenges for students of color already.
HBCUs can offer students emotional, psychological, and academic support that PWI’s can’t or don’t. Students who choose HBCUs will find a culturally and racially diverse student and faculty population leading to a more supportive and empowering environment, a deeper commitment to academic retention, and a strong emphasis on faculty and student relationships over faculty research. They also boast significant responsibility for achievements in education equity- over 80% of medical doctors and dentists; 75% of Black people who have doctoral degrees; and 50% of Black faculty members at PWIs are all graduates of HBCUs.
