Standing on the Outside Looking in: Underrepresented Students' Experiences in Advanced Degree Programs

Compared to the literature on the impact of post-secondary institutions on undergraduate institutions, the literature on the academic experiences of graduate students from underrepresented populations is comparatively meager.

This book remedies this gap by gathering a rich collection of personal narratives and empirical research to provide a comprehensive account of the actual lived experiences of graduate students of color and their perception of the campus climate.

This volume examines issues of access, retention, and transition; and explores the personal experiences of students of color in advanced-degree programs. The contributors cover issues such as financial aid; the culture, mission and racial climate at doctoral granting institutions; the transitional challenges STEM undergraduates face on entering graduate programs; mentoring; the distinct concerns and challenges that African, Asian and Latina/o students encounter in doctoral and professional programs; and the need to acknowledge and support their spirituality.

Franklin Tuitt concludes the book by summarizing the issues raised, and making recommendations to faculty, administrators, and directors of graduate programs about what they can do to promote the well-being and success of graduate students of color.

Mary F. Howard-Hamilton is a Professor of Higher Education at Indiana State University. She previously served as a higher education administrator for 15 years, working at five institutions, where her responsibilities variously included orientation, developmental education, judicial affairs, multicultural affairs, commuter life, and residence life. She taught courses in student affairs, higher education, and counseling at the University of Florida; and at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where she was also Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the School of Education. Her areas of expertise are multicultural issues in higher education, student development theories, feminist theory and therapy, and consultation. She has published over 75 articles and book chapters, and co-authored or co-edited five books.

Carla L. Morelon-Quainoo is the Director of Assessment and Dean of Honors at Dillard University.

Susan D. Johnson is a research analyst for the Office of University Planning, Institutional Research, and Accountability at Indiana University.

Rachelle Winkle-Wagner is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska.

Lilia Santiague is a graduate from the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at Indiana University with a concentration in Higher Education and Student Affairs.