Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Major/Program
Higher Education Administration
First Advisor's Name
Tonette S. Rocco
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee chair
Second Advisor's Name
Glenda D. Musoba
Second Advisor's Committee Title
committee member
Third Advisor's Name
Dawn E. Addy
Third Advisor's Committee Title
committee member
Fourth Advisor's Name
Thomas G. Reio
Fourth Advisor's Committee Title
committee member
Keywords
Black, Black Sorority, D9, NPHC, NPHC Sororities, Black Sororities
Date of Defense
11-9-2017
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of 13 Black, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) sorority members as they relate to their academic achievement and civic engagement. Participants were female, upperclassmen students at four different Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), half private and the other public. Criterion, purposive, and snowball sampling were used to secure participants.
Using the Community of Practice as a theoretical framework, which is comprised of five stages, participants’ experiences were described, analyzed, and interpreted to inform the study. Data were collected through individual phone interviews, using a semi-structured interview protocol, and were analyzed using inductive analysis.
Four themes emerged from the inductive analysis and those themes derived subthemes: (a) Support- (1) academic support, (2) financial support, and (3) engaging and influence; (b) Academic Intention- (1) understanding academic achievement before sorority membership, and (2) understanding academic achievement after sorority membership; (c) Service- (a) civic engagement, (b) volunteering, and (c) filling a need; lastly, (d) Social Awareness- (a) personal service goals, (b) personal social responsibility, and (c) understanding civic engagement agents.
The study provided implications for practitioners in higher education, such as the need to understand the historical significance, to advise these groups in a comprehensive manner, to conduct further research on the experiences of graduate chapter members caused by life experiences, and to identify sorority interests prior to membership for optimal outcomes. The study findings have implications for future support, research, and resources offered in helping these women navigate both student life and sorority membership. It is recommended that future researchers continue to examine the experiences of Black, NPHC sorority women, in order to inform higher education practitioners to better assist with their growth and development.
Identifier
FIDC004044
Recommended Citation
Eatman, Canela, "An Exploration of Black National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Sorority Membership as it Relates to Academic Achievement and Civic Engagement" (2017). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3518.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3518
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