Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the institutional retention practices that contribute to persistence among college men of color. Using a phenomenological research design allowed the study to focus on the lived experience among college men of color and based on their experience determine what institutional retention practices were supporting their progress towards degree completion. Three research questions drove this study: (a) According to university junior- and senior-status males of color, what are the retention practices that students identify as contributing to their success? (b) According to university junior- and senior-status males of color, what has been the role of campus faculty and staff in persistence? (c) According to junior- and senior-status males of color, what retention policies and practices can the campus implement to support degree completion? This study sought to answer these research questions by utilizing three theoretical frameworks: Titus’s (2014) conceptual model to examine student persistence, Rendon’s (1996) validation theory, and Stanton-Salazar’s (2011) institutional agent theory were used to examine the factors that lead to persistence. Based on the data collected and alignment of the results and theoretical framework, the study presented several emerging themes that impact retention and persistence among college men of color.