| This is a qualitative action research study exploring the benefits implementing a targeted marketing and recruitment campaign has on increasing the number of African American males who apply for a Resident Assistant position. The study consisted of one planned focus group, which solicited feedback from 10 African American males whose classifications ranged from sophomore to senior, who were in good academic standing, and had never served in the capacity of a Resident Assistant at the research site. The literature reviewed for this study examined the benefits of living and working in a diverse environment, the reasons college students leave institutions of higher education, and the reasons or motivations that allow them to persist to graduation. The literature explorers how these factors play a role in the retention, progression, and graduation of African American males, specifically.;The study concluded that a lack of knowledge kept some African American males from applying for the Resident Assistant position, along with the fact that if these students had been appropriately informed of the true nature of the Resident Assistant position other African American male students would have applied. Often, the negative connotations associated with the position deterred African American male candidates from applying. The research study also concluded that African American males were more apt to apply for the Resident Assistant position if another African American male spoke highly of the role and the benefits associated with it. |
