THE INFLUENCE OF BLACK GREEK MEMBERSHIP ON THE ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENTS

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the experiences of Black male students who are members of Black Greek Letter Fraternities (BGLF) while attending a large institution. This study examines the academic practices of the fraternity members, and the effects fraternity membership has on their academic progress. For this study, four Black male undergraduate fraternity members and five graduates shared stories of their undergraduate experiences and how being in a fraternity impacted their academic progress. Semi-structured questions were used during the interviews to explore the student’s academic engagement and they focused on the following research question: 1. How does membership in a BGLF contribute to persistence at a large institution? Findings reveal that there is evidence that Black Greek membership has a positive effect on the academic engagement of its members. Participants indicated that membership in their Greek fraternity, had a positive impact on their academic engagement while in college. This narrative study examined the relationship between membership in a BGLF and the overall academic experiences of African American male college students attending a large institution. The findings from this study can be used to develop programs for students in their first year of college to help foster a sense of belonging that may lead to increased retention, persistence and increased graduation rates for students who may struggle early on. These programs can be designed to fit a number of different demographics.