Forces shaping the academic success of minority undergraduate students, including socioeconomic status, campus climate, racial identity, and mass media influence

While the decline in male academic participation crosses most ethnicities, there is a qualitative imbalance between the minority and majority postsecondary academic experience that some researchers claim makes this condition almost genocidal for minorities. This study is a longitudinal look at four constructs that may influence the academic success of minority undergraduate students, especially minority males. It acknowledges the reported decline in minority male participation in postsecondary education and investigates possible influences through the perceptions of minority and majority, male and female undergraduate students in regard to their socioeconomic status, campus climate, racial identity development, and mass media participation and preferences for indications that these constructs may significantly influence persistence to graduation.;This study used a 49-item survey questionnaire designed to elicit information concerning the participants' socioeconomic status at that time of their undergraduate education, their perception of racial climate on their individual campuses, and their personal entertainment and information media perceptions and preferences. It also used the Black (BRIAS) and White (WRIAS) Racial Identity Attitude Scales, depending on the ethnic group with which participants self-identified, to assess their level of racial identity development. The final phase of this study ascertained the initial undergraduate survey participants' persistence to completion of their bachelor's degrees as a measure of academic success.;This study found patterns of pressures indicating that perception of campus climate did appear to influence persistence to graduation. Also, while socioeconomic status, racial identity, and mass media influence could not be shown to individually exert significant influence on academic success, survey responses indicated that racial identity development and mass media influence show discernable linkages that do appear to exert significant pressure on persistence to graduation.