Recruiting Students of Color Through Developing Online Graduate Student
Panels
Kinnis Gosha and Thomas Benjamin
Morehouse College
United States
kgosha@morehouse.edu
tbenjamin@morehouse.edu
Chinasa Ordu and Jennifer Horace
Clemson University
United States
cordu@g.clemson.edu
horace2@clemson.edu
Abstract: Due to an increase in population size of underrepresented minorities (URM) and a shortage of U.S.
citizens who are entering into academic majors involving science, technology, engineering and math, it is critical for
the U.S. to create a “pipeline” for undergraduate minorities to increase their presence in STEM disciplines. Graduate
school panels are frequently used to disseminate information to students regarding post-baccalaureate STEM
education. This research is an attempt to virtualize audience-specific graduate school panels through an online
application. We hypothesize that URM with access to the application will be more encouraged to pursue graduate
studies in STEM disciplines. Current results show that our application, Virtual Graduate School Panel (VGSP), is
moderately favorable in usefulness to a sample of undergraduate STEM majors. Key limitations, such as a small
sample and confinement to descriptive statistical test, lay the groundwork for future studies that will examine the
effectiveness of the VGSP.
Introduction
Research has shown the importance of diversifying higher education (Cochran, Dumas-Hines, & Williams,
2001). As a result, significant effort has been put into supporting students of color in higher education and this has
resulted in an increase in minority groups going to college (Cochran et al, 2001). These efforts have also impacted
the composition of graduate schools. Since 1976 the number of graduate students of color has increased by almost
21% (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011, Table 307). Despite the increase in diversity there is still a
disproportional amount of underrepresented minorities entering non-science and technological fields. For example in
2009 only 6.9% of persons receiving doctoral degrees were African American and of these degrees only 4.3% were
in engineering, 5.4% in the life sciences, and 3.1% in the physical sciences as compared to their White peers who
received 69.8%, 75.2%, and 78.7% doctoral degrees in these fields respectively (National Center for Education
Statistics, 2011, Table 335). This number is low considering 21% African American students receive bachelor’s
degrees in STEM fields (Ross et al., 2012, p. 207). The disparities in post-baccalaureate degree completion for
students of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has resulted in a concerted effort by
researchers and practitioners alike to explore the issues related to enrollment, retention, and degree completion of
this population. This has resulted in research on what is known as the “leaky pipeline”.
The leaky pipeline metaphorically describes changes in underrepresented minority student enrollment in
STEM fields at various stages of their educational careers (Blickenstaff, 2005). Some students may leak out from
changing their STEM majors before their graduation date whereas others may graduate with a STEM degree but
change their careers field (Blickenstaff, 2005). These leaks, call for tools to increase the development of a strong
pipeline of underrepresented populations in the STEM disciplines. With this study, we wish to add to the body of
existing literature that focuses on the recruitment, and matriculation of graduate students of color into STEM
disciplines. In the next section, a comprehensive literature review is included which is grounded in the literature in
graduate student recruitment and admissions, and mentoring in higher education. Next, a recruiting tool is
introduced and applied in this endeavor to highlight the importance of graduate panels and mentoring for students of
color. Lastly, we include our results obtained from the use of this tool and offer future recommendations for
assisting URM in STEM fields with matriculating successfully through their educational and career trajectories.
Literature Review
Technological innovation and economic prosperity are intimately linked, and one of the engines of
technological innovation is a well-educated populace (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of
Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2010). Indeed, many leaders in business, academe, and the U.S. government
now recognize that increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of U.S. citizens who have post-baccalaureate
education in STEM disciplines is key to the nation’s long-term ability to compete in the global marketplace
(National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2010; National Center
for Education Statistics, 2011). This problem is not new. Many initiatives, in fact, have been designed to recruit
students into STEM fields at the secondary and K-12 educational levels. These programs are necessary and
important, but they do not address the equally, if not more, important issues of retention and advancement of
individuals who have already either enrolled in or completed a course of study in a STEM discipline at the
bachelor’s level.
The problem of the “leaky pipeline” in later stages of education becomes even more troublesome when
considering the loss of talent from individuals who are members of racial and ethnic groups that are consistently
underrepresented in the scientific and technical disciplines especially at the graduate level. Underrepresented
minority groups currently account for approximately 25% of the U.S. population (National Academy of Sciences,
National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2010; National Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics, 2011). By contrast, they make up only 17.9% of the undergraduate population, 2.5% of science and
engineering majors, and 6% of the science and engineering workforce (National Academy of Sciences, National
Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2010; National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics,
2011). Prevailing population trends will only exacerbate losses from these groups. “By 2020, more than 40% of the
US college-age population will be members of currently underrepresented minorities” (National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine, 2007).
National Focus: Recruiting for the Future
The National Science Foundation (NSF), in response to this situation, began the Broadening Participation
in Computing (BPC) program in 2005. The purpose of the BPC program is “to significantly increase the number of
students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents receiving post secondary degrees in the computing
disciplines” (National Science Foundation, 2009a; National Science Foundation, 2009b). A range of proposals,
varying in size, scope, and target audience, are funded through this program. Two specific initiatives that devote
significant resources to encouraging undergraduate STEM majors and recent graduates to go on to graduate studies
in STEM disciplines are the Alliance for the Advancement of African-American Researchers in Computing (A4RC)
and African-American Researchers in Computing Sciences (AARCS).
The Alliance for the Advancement of African-American Researchers in Computing (A4RC), a 20institution regional consortium, headquartered at North Carolina A&T, seeks to “increase African-Americans’ entry
into computing research careers, including the professoriate” (Barker, 2011). The A4RC initiative is noted for its
focus on developing support for computing students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In
addition, A4RC has the goal of building stronger collegial ties between faculty and students at HBCUs and faculty
and students at R1 institutions. Initial data from evaluation of this program suggest that undergraduate students
experience multiple benefits from participation in A4RC research “pods” (Cossa & Barker, 2009). These benefits
include increased research skills, increased understanding of graduate student life, and increased understanding of
graduate school admission requirements.
The African-American Researchers in Computing Sciences (AARCS) program is a demonstration project,
based at Auburn University. The AARCS program brings specific focus to increasing the number of AfricanAmericans in tenure-track faculty and research positions (Jackson, Charleston, George, & Oduala, 2009). A series of
targeted programs and annual mini-conferences were organized for this initiative. Both quantitative and qualitative
evaluative data suggest that these efforts were very successful in encouraging undergraduate and master’s
participants to pursue doctorates in computer science and in encouraging Ph.D. students to pursue faculty positions
(Jackson, Charleston, George, & Oduala, 2009).
Graduate School Panels and Mentoring
One common theme of the two BPC programs mentioned above is the use of graduate student panels.
Graduate student panels provide graduate students an arena to share their experiences with other graduate students
and undergraduate students who are interested in attending graduate school. The typical panel may have anywhere
from 3 to 6 graduate students sitting in the front of a room facing the other participants. A moderator will ask the
panel a couple of generic questions to start. Panelists then take turns answering those questions. After the moderated
discussion has concluded, the floor opens for audience questions. Individual students may direct questions either to
the entire panel or to specific members of the panel. This question-and-answer session may be longer or shorter in
duration, depending on time constraints and interest.
Additionally, mentoring is another pivotal tool used in the endeavor to increase the representation of
students of color in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) graduate programs. Mentoring
relationships serve to: a) integrate students into the fabric of their department, b) create connections with pertinent
professional and social networks, c) assist students in gaining knowledge on core research competencies, and d)
pave the way for placement in the work force upon matriculation from graduate school (Davidson & Foster-Johnson,
2001). It is important to note that for students of color as undergraduates, they sometimes lack the exposure to
accurate knowledge about graduate school which may hinder them in becoming aware about the opportunities that
exist for graduate education” (Ulloa & Herrera, 2006). Thus mentoring on the graduate level can have significant
implications for increasing the population of students of color in STEM disciplines. Graduate mentoring programs
are designed to provide close, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees (Blickenstaff, 2005). The
relationships established with peers and faculty in these programs can break down the walls of the students’
insecurities and propel them towards success in their discipline. In the next section, we will introduce a new
recruitment tool that combines both the concepts of the graduate panel as well as mentoring to serve as a support
mechanisms for students of color pursing graduate education in STEM disciplines.
Concept of the Virtual Graduate Panel
The purpose for Virtual Graduate School Panel (VGSP) is to create a dynamic, web-based application that
will provide a greatly enhanced version of the school panel experience. The application will contain recorded video
content of current African American STEM graduate students addressing a variety of topics. The recordings will be
divided by individual questions and responses. The initial system is constructed in a blog platform. This provides
users the ability to search for recordings using keywords that are uploaded with each video. In addition to keywords
about the recordings, information about each speaker is also included in the post. This allows users to search the
content of the blog either by topic or by speaker characteristic.
Development of Tool
In order to create an accessible and efficient way to display the videos, a blog was created. Even though the
videos were uploaded to YouTube, displaying them on a blog created a more interactive, customizable, and
organized interface. The blog site Tumblr was chosen as a medium due its simplicity, accessibility, and rising
popularity. As new videos were posted to the blog, they were tagged with the name of the panel member, as well as
major themes in the videos. These tags allow visitors to the site to see videos of specific members and related to
specific topics. The visitors are also able to freely browse the posts.
The decision to use a blog comes with its advantages and well as disadvantages. The major advantage to
using a blog is its accessibility and simplicity. By posting the videos to a public blog, they are accessible to anyone
with internet access. Many blog sites also have mobile versions so that they can be accessed on mobile devices.
With Tumblr, there are applications for Apple and Android devices as well. A blog also creates a simpler and more
efficient way to post the videos. However, as with any Internet application, those without Internet access cannot
view this content. This means that some students, who are otherwise in our target audience, may not be reached.
Method
Participants
A total of 24 undergraduate STEM majors were participated in the pilot study. Each participant was
selected from a convenient sample of a federally funded undergraduate STEM research program. Particularly, the
objective of this program is to increase the representation of African-American males in STEM disciplines and
graduate programs by preparing them for doctoral study. The sample and program consisted of students attending an
exclusively male, historically black college. The research scholarship program included undergraduates in all
academic classifications (e.g. freshman, sophomore, etc.) and in various STEM disciplines. The surveyed sample
comprised of only sophomores (n = 9), juniors (n = 9), and seniors (n = 5), with no freshmen surveyed. There were
six STEM majors represented: computer science (n =5), mathematics (n = 3), chemistry (n = 5), biology (n = 3),
physics (n = 3), and psychology (n = 1). All study participants were a subset of a relatively high achieving (mean
GPA of at least 3.0 and above) sample of STEM undergraduates. Given a convenience sampling technique, gender
exclusivity, a relatively small sample size, and the nature of the student research program, this sample did not
represent the general population of undergraduate racial minorities in STEM disciplines.
Survey Instrument
Student characteristics and opinions about the Virtual Graduate Student Panel videos were assessed with
this 17-item survey (see Appendix). There were 11, 5-point Likert scale (1 = “strongly disagree” and 5 = “strongly
agree”) items. These items measured the usefulness of the VGSP (e.g., “I would use this tool again if it were
available”), mentor effectiveness (e.g. “The mentors’ dialogue was consistent with the videos’ topic), and other
experiential opinions.
Procedure
The study was conducted at the end of a weekly meeting of the participants’ undergraduate research
program. There was no tangible incentive for participating in the research study. The following three pre-selected
video segments were viewed by every participant: “A Typical Day,” “Handling Finances,” and “Having a Social
Life.” Each video segment was selected based on variation of topics relative to one another. Participants, as a group,
viewed each video simultaneously from the digital projector in a lecture-type classroom. The time elapsed between
each video segment was within five and fifteen seconds. After the last video was shown, participants were provided
a survey instrument to complete. Once completed, the survey instrument was collected and the participants were free
to leave.
Results
The study sample comprised of sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate STEM majors in various
disciplines. This group of students was conveniently sampled and is not an adequate representative sample of the
greater population of underrepresented minority STEM undergraduates. When asked “How interested are you in
attending graduate school?” participants predominately responded that they would apply (see Appendix). Grade
point averages (on a 4-point scale) ranged from 2.88 to 3.70 (M = 3.37)
Table 1: Student Sample Characteristics
STEM Discipline
Computer Science
Mathematics
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Psychology
Sophomore
(n = 9)
2
1
1
1
1
0
Academic Classification
Junior
(n = 9)
3
2
2
0
1
1
Senior
(n = 5)
0
0
2
2
1
1
Double Major
Graduate School
Interest
Interested
Will Apply
Applied
3
1
8
0
GPA
0
0
9
0
Mean (SD)
3.37 (0.26)
0
1
3
1
In evaluating the VGSP viewing experience, average participant opinion ratings ranged from “undecided”
(3) to “somewhat agree” (5). Considering that a score of five represents the numerical threshold for “strongly agree,”
and a sample mean of 5 is unreasonable to expect. Such findings lend support for moderately favorable opinions
about the VGSP’s usefulness, content, and functionality. The usefulness subscale consisted of five items (α = .720)
and the mentor consistency subscale consisted of three items (α = .595). “Usefulness” is defined as the degree to
which the viewer finds the VGSP video content to be relevant and beneficial. “Mentor consistency” is the degree to
which the viewer felt the featured graduate student mentor’s diction was clear and message was relevant to the video
topic.
Due to a small sample size and violations of prerequisite assumptions, groups were not statistically
compared through inferential statistics. A random sample was not selected and members of the research program did
not have an equal probability of being selected for viewing and feedback. These limitations impeded basic
assumptions needed for inferential, group comparisons; therefore data analysis was confined to descriptive statistics.
Table 2: Summary of Descriptive Survey Data
STEM Student Video Survey
(1 “Strongly Disagree” - 5 “Strongly Agree”)
Items
M (SD)
1. Overall, I enjoyed viewing the videos.
3.74 (0.86)
2. The mentors focused on the topics throughout the videos.
4.52 (0.59)
3. The mentors spoke clearly throughout the videos.
4.45 (0.67)
4. The knowledge gained from the videos was very useful.
3.83 (0.72)
5. I would use this tool again if it were available to me.
3.83 (0.89)
6. I would like to get more information about the topics viewed.
4.17 (0.98)
7. The information presented in the videos was relevant to me.
3.96 (1.07)
8. I feel more knowledgeable about these topics after viewing this video.
3.43 (1.12)
9. The mentor’s dialogue was consistent with the videos’ topic.
4.35 (0.65)
10. New information was presented to me in these videos.
3.61 (1.27)
11. I was able to find the videos I was looking for easily.
3.36 (1.14)
Subscales
Usefulness*
3.73 (0.71)
Mentor Consistency**
4.43 (0.47)
Note. Usefulness subscale derived from five items: 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10. Mentor Consistency subscale
includes three items: 2, 3, and 9.
* Cronbach’s α = .720
** Cronbach’s α = .595
Conclusion
Implications
Some of the most prominent and highly rated responses pertained to feedback about the graduate student
mentor featured in the videos. Mean scores on each subscale suggest that mentor consistency was favorable. The
tool’s usefulness appears to be an appropriate gage for improvement. Although individual items in the usefulness
scale had moderately affirmative ratings, there was more variance (and larger standard deviation) in the usefulness
scale items than mentor consistency. Usefulness could be affected by factors such as academic classification, major,
and interest in attending graduate school. For instance, a senior may find this tool less useful because seniors may
have more preexposure to general information about graduate school compared to an underclassman. Some students
may have not heard specific information related to their academic major on the VGSP, thus conceivably impacting
its perceived significance. The participants’ sheer involvement in such a research scholarship program may further
validate these students as not sufficiently representative of the population of underrepresented minority
undergraduates in STEM.
Mentor consistency may be a more objective measure with less confounds than usefulness. Items that
assessed mentor consistency are thought to be unaffected by differences in major, academic classification, or interest
in attending graduate school. These are simply judgments about the mentor’s clarity and discourse that is consistent
with video’s topic.
Advantages and Limitations
Using a convenient sample of undergraduate STEM majors in a research program has key advantages and
limitations. This was a fitting approach to receive immediate feedback from an appropriate sample of students,
African-American undergraduates majoring in a STEM discipline. With all participants as self-identified STEM
majors and complete expressed interest in graduate school, this sample was beneficial considering the nature of our
target group, underrepresented racial minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduate
programs.
Some apparent limitations include a deficient sample size, heterogeneity of variance, and a non-randomized
sample selected through convenience sampling. Video topics were also chosen by researchers for the sample, a
practice that would not be replicated in independent and autonomous use of the tool. These limitations restricted us
from making generalizable conclusions about the actual impact of the VGSP, yet we still were equipped with
valuable data that describes its functionality and usability. That in mind, this study provides foundation for
examining the efficaciousness of this tool in the future with respect to graduate school admission and retention of
traditionally underrepresented minority students.
Future Directions
The results collected from this preliminary study were limited due to the sample size of the participants.
Moving forward we will expand the number and variation of participants in the study. Also, since the graduate
students interviewed represented only one graduate institution, the graduate school panelist will be expanded to
include other institutions and academic disciplines. Study participants only had one interaction with the application.
Future studies will collect more longitudinal data. Lastly, the data collected consisted of only quantitative results.
Forthcoming studies will include qualitative data collection in addition to quantitative data collection.
The goal of the research behind VGSP is to provide a more tailored experience for the user so they can
receive specific and relevant information from a graduate student. We will further update and add to the website, to
customize the experience of the Virtual Graduate School Panel.
References
Barker, L. (2011). Alliance for Advancing African American Researchers in Computing (A4RC): Project Findings
and Outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.a4rc.org.
Blickenstaff, J.C. (2005). Women and science careers: Leaky pipeline or gender filter?, Gender and Education,
17(4), 369-386.
Cochran, L., Dumas-Hines, F., & Williams, E. (2001). Promoting diversity: recommendations for recruitment and
retention of minorities in higher education. College Student Journal. 35(3)433-441.
Cossa, J. & Barker, L. (2009). Alliance for Advancing African American Researchers in Computing (A4RC)
Undergraduate Report. Retrieved from http://www.a4rc.org/, August 1, 2011.
Davidson, M. N., & Foster-Johnson, L. (2001). Mentoring in the preparation of graduate researchers of color.
Review of Educational Research, 71(4), 549-574.
Jackson, J. F. L., Charleston, L. J., George, P., & Oduala, T. (2009). African American Researchers in Computing
Sciences Final Evaluation Report. Retrieved from http://www.cs.clemson. edu/~juan/
AARCS/Reports/AARCS_2006-2008_Evaluation_Report.pdf.
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine. (2007). Rising above
the gathering storm: Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future., Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press.
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine. (2010). Rising above
the gathering storm, revisited: Rapidly approaching category 5., Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2011). List of 2011 digest tables. Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2011menu_tables.asp.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (2011). Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in
science and engineering: 2011, tables 5-7 and 7-7, NSF 11-309. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd.
National Science Foundation. (2009a). Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Program Solicitation, NSF
09-534. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/publications.
National Science Foundation. (2009b). Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Program. Retrieved from
http://www.bpcportal.org/.
Ross, T., Kena, G., Rathbun, A. KewalRamani, A., Zhang, J., Kristapovich, P., and Manning, E. (2012). Higher
education: Gaps in access and persistence (NCES 2012-046). Retrieved from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012046.
Ulloa, E.C. & Herrera, M. (2006). Strategies for multicultural success: What about grad school?, The Career
Development Quarterly, 54, (4), 361-366.