Pathways to Success for Students of Color in Christian Colleges: The Role of Institutional Integrity and Sense of Community

ABSTRACT

This study explored the predictors of success among 1,536 students of color from 12 Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member institutions. Student success was measured by examining students' intent to graduate along with the degree to which they were thriving intellectually, socially, and psychologically. The study utilized an instrument that included the Thriving Quotient (Schreiner, 2012), which measures students' psychosocial well-being, along with scales that assessed students' psychological sense of community, perceptions of institutional integrity and commitment to student welfare, spirituality, and satisfaction with student–faculty interaction. The path model explained 35% of the variation in intent to graduate from their chosen CCCU institution among this sample of students of color. In addition to three factors that directly contributed to students' intent to graduate from their institutions—institutional fit, thriving in their role as students, and students' perceptions of the institutions' commitment to their welfare—the model revealed significant indirect contributors to the success of students of color. Recommendations based on these findings include creating campus environments, policies, and practices that consider the unique needs of all students, equipping faculty for inclusive pedagogy, and delivering on the implicit institutional promises made to students of color during the admissions process.