REBUILDING TRUST WITH

REBUILDING TRUST WITH BLACK STUDENTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES POST COVID-19

Black students today face the challenge of school, protesting, and becoming leaders of the next generation.

Written by Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackon

Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson is a globally recognized organizational scientist, leadership strategist, entrepreneur, university professor, award-winning author, and a higher education executive.

The disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public murders of Black citizens at the hands of law enforcement that have transpired over the last 18 months have put the treatment of Blacks in America center stage across the globe. Not to suggest that the US was winning awards for its treatment of Blacks prior to that, but rather it seemed the last breath of George Floyd helped some understand for the first time the depth of racial inequality in our country and its impact. This increased awareness has been accompanied by a heightened understanding and increased expectations that the organizational treatment of Blacks must be improved moving forward as a country. The corporate sector has taken some steps to assume a different posture, establishing new relationships with the Black community and recommitting to those previously held. It is now time for higher education (e.g., colleges and universities) to step up to the batter’s box and enact meaningful change for the Black community. Data from the National Center for Educational Statistics show that prior to the pandemic, the proportion of Black students nationwide who graduated on time from high school had risen to 79 percent in 2017-18 from 66 percent in 2009-10. In contrast, the enrollment of Blacks in higher education peaked in 2010 to 15.1 percent and has slowly declined since. Problematically, the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated this decline.

Black enrollment has been declining significantly since the onset of COVID19. Two-year institutions, one of two subsets of higher education institutions that typically enroll the largest number of Black students, have experienced huge declines in enrollment of between 15 and 19 percent. Overall, undergraduate enrollment of Black men decreased 14 percent in Spring 2021 and ten percent for Black women.

Problematically, Black enrollment at for-profit institutions experienced a 4 percent increase during the pandemic. While for-profit institutions typically enroll a large number of Black students, they have a welldocumented history of predatory practices and mistreatment towards Black students.

These declines in enrollment are a direct result of the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Black community, but also reflect a further deterioration of Black trust in organizations. The troubling, warped universe we currently live in has posed questions of who and what we can trust as Blacks in America. The level of trust in leaders of institutions of higher education has significantly declined, especially so for Black students. Consider findings from a recent study using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement that shows Black undergraduates consistently stated they trusted campus leadership and societal leaders overall less than their White counterparts — a finding the researchers have named the racial trust gap. Campus leadership — presidents, provosts, and deans — were the least trusted by Black students, with the level of distrust nearly three times greater than their White peers. As campus leadership prepares to welcome back faculty, staff and students to campus, it is clear there is much work to do to gain the trust of the Black community. Campus leaders would be wise to follow proven steps to build trust and remedy the significantly fractured relationship with the Black community: Be True to Your Word – Truly honor the espoused commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion often captured in a strategic diversity plan. Words devoid of actions have led to the current racial climate.

Communicate Effectively – If the recognition of Black excellence is an institutional priority, it should be effectively shared as an institutional priority across all communication channels by campus leadership.

tion plan with three, six, and twelvemonth benchmarks detailing step-bystep how campus leadership will earn the trust of the Black community. Make Decisions Carefully – Campus leadership must carefully consider the impact their decisions, or lack thereof, have on Blacks on campus. Be Consistent – Show consistency in valuing Black excellence — from considering student applications to hiring senior campus leadership. Be Honest – Honesty is a core tenet of trust. Dishonesty only takes you back to square one. Do What You Believe is Right – If you truly value diversity as a central tenet of excellence, then a vocal donor base or political affiliations should not disturb the integrity in your decision making. Admit Mistakes – Even the most highly skilled will make mistakes, so the expectation is to own them, not hide them. If our country is truly committed to racial equality, it starts with reforming our educational institutions and earning the trust of our Black students. As college leaders takes steps to understand and establish what the new normal will be as we prepare for Fall 2021, it is an opportune moment to fully integrate the recognition of Black excellence in those plans. Classrooms, research laboratories, student council, and campus life would be greatly enriched by the increased presence of Black students, faculty, and staff. www.nscresearchcenter.org www.brookings.edu “For-Profit Schools’ Predatory Practices and Students of Color: A Mission to Enroll Rather Than Educate,” Harvard Law Review Blog, July 30, 2018. ●

Fosnacht, K., & Calderone, S. “Who do students trust? An exploratory analysis of undergraduates’ social trust.” IUScholarWorks. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University, 2020.