Integrating into a predominantly white campus: students of color share their stories

This qualitative study explored the perceptions and expectations of students of color ability to integrate into a predominantly white campus and compared these to their actual experience. To address this question five students of color were interviewed at the university where the study took place. The semi-structured interview questions asked participants to tell stories about their perceptions, expectations and experiences while attending a predominantly white university. Respondents gave similar answers about what they expected and what happened when they got to campus but not always. The results support that the experiences of students of color are in part shaped by ethnic identity and that this creates difficulty in how these students experience college. A recommendation is in order to create a welcoming and inclusive experience for students of color, university campuses must change how students are recruited and there is a need for higher education practitioners to be culturally competent