A Thematic Analysis of HBCU Biology Program Mission Statements

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) demonstrate success in facilitating pathways for STEM graduates into the STEM workforce, and this phenomenon has been widely documented (Gasman & Nguyen, 2014; Upton & Tanenbaum, 2014; Clewell et al., 2016). Although thematic analysis of the mission statements of HBCUs at the institutional level have been conducted (Albritton, 2012; Bryan & Stewart, 2016), similar analysis has not been conducted at the departmental or program level of many discipline- specific STEM areas at HBCUs. In the present thematic analysis, departmental and programmatic mission statements in biology at 28 HBCUs were evaluated to determine the emergent themes that characterize and potentially contribute to student retention and success in biology at HBCUs. Among all Carnegie classes, the 2 most frequent themes included: STEM/ Healthcare Workforce Preparation and Skill Development. The 2 least frequent themes were Diversity & Inclusion and non- STEM Student Science Education. This emphasis on workforce preparation and skill development at the level of the academic unit may provide additional insight into the success of HBCUs in facilitating pathways for URM graduates into advanced training programs and promoting retention of URM professionals in the STEM workforce. [For the full proceedings, see ED652228.]