Factors That Influence Retention Outcomes Among Black Transfer Students at Predominantly White Institutions Using the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model

Abstract

Factors that Influence Retention Outcomes Among Black Transfer Students at Predominantly White Institutions Using the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model Kimberly D. Clark ABSTRACT Black transfer students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) encounter compounded barriers that contribute to persistently lower retention rates. This study examined institutional factors associated with Black student presence and persistence at PWIs through the lens of the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model. Because race-disaggregated retention data are not available in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), retention was operationalized as institutional Black undergraduate enrollment share, the proportion of undergraduates who were Black at each institution in fall 2022. Using a quantitative, non-experimental design, the study applied hierarchical multiple regression to a merged IPEDS dataset of 2,563 four-year, degree-granting PWIs. Predictors were entered in two blocks: (a) institutional controls, size and sector, and (b) a CECE-aligned cultural responsiveness indicator, percentage of Black faculty and staff. Institutional controls explained negligible variance in Black enrollment share. Black staff representation, however, was strongly and positively associated with Black undergraduate enrollment share, accounting for the majority of explained variance in the final model. Findings affirm the CECE framework's emphasis on humanized, culturally responsive environments and suggest that institutions where Black students are present in substantial numbers are also institutions where Black faculty and staff are present in substantial numbers. Results contribute to equity-focused higher education research by centering institutional responsibility rather than student deficits and offer evidence-based implications for workforce diversity policy, data infrastructure reform, and culturally engaging campus practice aimed at improving outcomes for Black transfer students at PWIs.