FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE - LEVERAGING IDENTITY-CONSCIOUS STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES TO CLOSE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR BLACK UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Oct 15, 2026

This article explains how scholars and practitioners can jointly address opportunity gaps for Black undergraduate students at Michigan State University through identity-conscious student success strategies. Using Reason and Kimball’s theory-to-practice model, the authors describe an approach developed by Black faculty and staff, including community development, Welcome Black Week, Soul Food Fridays, and the Sankofa Summit. Each initiative is designed to expand culturally relevant, out-of-class interactions with Black faculty and staff, and the article ends with recommendations for institutions seeking similar models.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and Aim

Positionality

Major Arguments and Supporting Literature

Deficit Mindsets, Asset-Minded Approaches, and Opportunity Gaps

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: LEVERAGING IDENTITY-CONSCIOUS STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES TO CLOSE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR BLACK UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Genyne L. Royal Michigan State University D’Wayne Jenkins Michigan State University Ololade Banks Oakland Community College Kevin Reeves Michigan State University Scotty Secrist Michigan State University Abstract The purpose of this article is to show how scholars and practitioners can come together to address opportunity gaps for Black students at Michigan State University. The authors detail identity-conscious student success strategies within Reason and Kimball’s model of theory to practice used by a group of Black faculty and staff. Among the specific strategies and initiatives were: community development, Welcome Black Week, Soul Food Fridays, and Sankofa Summit. Each strategy also provided increased opportunities for Black students to interact with Black faculty and staff outside of formal classroom settings. The authors conclude with recommendations for other institutions interested in similar approaches. Please direct inquires about this manuscript to: Genyne Royal, [royalgen@msu.edu](royalgen@msu.edu) College Student Affairs Journal, Volume 40(2), pp. 100-114 ISSN 2381-2338 Copyright 2022 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 101 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 40, No. 2, 2022 and practitioners actively working to remove institutional barriers and promote equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. With these intentions, institutions must develop services, programming, and educational interventions that are culturally relevant and proven to support holistic student success for racially minoritized students. To date, institutions have developed communities on campuses that support students’ academic and social interests. For instance, some institutions have adopted initiatives that group students in residence halls according to their selected or intended majors, termed living-learning communities (Inkelas et al., 2018) . Gonzalez and Romo (2014) provided another example showing how investment in student-led organizations, or common interest groups, has been beneficial to students’ success and overcoming marginalization. This article examines how mid-level, Black staff members at Michigan State University engaged Reason and Kimball’s (2012) model of theory-to-practice to take up and implement Pendakur’s (2016) identity-conscious student success strategies framework to address opportunity gaps for Black undergraduate students. Purpose and Aim Michigan State University (MSU) is a large, research-focused, predominately white institution in the Midwest. In 2013, MSU’s 6-year graduation rate for undergraduate students was 77% . For white students, it was 81% as compared to 56% for Black students. Disaggregating the graduation rate by race revealed a difference of 25% in 6-year graduation rates between Black and white students, representing the largest disparity in graduation outcomes among racial groups at MSU. In 2014, a group of Black faculty and staff began to explore this phenomenon. They worked to design and implement strategic student success initiatives that centered Black students’ identities. The group specifically designed these initiatives to enhance academic outcomes for Black students. The purpose of this article is to show how scholars and From Theory to Practice practitioners can come together to address opportunity gaps. Positionality It is important to acknowledge that when this article was in its infancy stages, all of the authors were employed at MSU within the Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative (NSSC) . This MSU unit will be referenced throughout the article. Thus, as NSSC staff, collectively, we believe that we must strive towards closing opportunity gaps by developing access and support networks for underserved students. In addition, t

FAQs

What problem does the article focus on at Michigan State University?

The article focuses on persistent opportunity gaps affecting Black undergraduate students, especially differences in graduation outcomes compared with white students at MSU.

Which framework guides the identity-conscious student success strategies described?

The strategies are grounded in Reason and Kimball’s model of theory to practice, and the article applies identity-conscious student success strategies as a framework to address opportunity gaps.

What specific initiatives are highlighted as examples of these strategies?

The article highlights community development, Welcome Black Week, Soul Food Fridays, and the Sankofa Summit as key identity-conscious initiatives.

Oct 15, 2026

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