A Mixed Methods Study of Student College Experiences that Construct Racis

Hardie and Tyson (2013) claim that the education institution has become a foundational source of social and political racism. Colleges and universities are microcosms of society with the potential to institute behavioral reform. Bonilla-Silva (2015) claims that Blacks and Whites continue a condition of separation while the inequality between the races has not noticeably improved since the Civil Rights movement. Fifty-six surveys and twenty-two interviews were analyzed to answer three research questions: 1. What are the discrimination experiences of college students? 2. How frequently are college students reporting discriminatory experiences? 3. How do students define racism based upon these experiences?;The survey data indicated that while both male and female students are experiencing discrimination, those incidences are occurring infrequently. The interviews revealed that college students narrowly define racism but in some cases, recognize that racism is persistent today. Additional research is needed to further assess students' experiences with the discriminatory incidents that frame their definitions of racism.