Author. Teacher. Gardener.
INTRODUCTION
Interest in the retention and the experiences of Black students isn’t new. For decades now, scholars have sought to identify Black students’ experiences at PWIs and what they need to persist until graduation (Guiffrida, 2003; McLean, 2010; Museus, 2008). There is one big difference now: the attack on DEI programs. Although there continues to be a need to research ways to increase the likelihood that Black students will persist to graduation, there is a significant amount of research that these DEI Centers aid in the retention of Black students by providing students a safe space that feels like home, where they can build community and receive support and encouragement from staff. Now the question is: What happens when students no longer have these spaces? Since the dismantling of the DEI program and centers is fairly recent, there isn't much research looking at the effects, although there are many scholars who have begun to predict a negative impact on BIPOC student retention (Williamson et. al, 2024; Dhanani et al., 2024; Kamalumpundi et al., 2024). This research will provide us with the components present in DEI centers that aid in the retention of Black students and identify if any are present currently within three different National Chaptered Student Organizations. The research will serve as one of the first steps to identifying different ways students can receive the support they would have received if DEI Centers were still available to them.
Problem Statement
In 2023, Republican politicians began to attack colleges’ DEI programs, arguing that the practices of these programs “violate free speech, break anti-discrimination laws and misuse public money” (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2025). Texas and 13 other states have passed anti-DEI laws since 2023 (Smith, 2025). The University of North Carolina was the first university to implement a system-wide anti-DEI policy in 2024 (Jayakumar & Vue, 2025). Later, the Trump administration began threatening the loss of federal funding to institutions that refused to eliminate their DEI programming (Jayakumar & Vue, 2025). These anti-DEI laws banned spending on DEI programming, cultural trainings, majors, and DEI centers (Williams Institute, 2024). According to Schachle-Gordon et al., the passing of anti-DEI laws resulted in a decrease in DEI centers in the states where the laws were passed (Schachle-Gordon et al., 2025).
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DEI Centers have served as one of the main sources of support for Black students. What happens when they are no longer present? With the new laws in effect, universities and outside organizations need to begin to think outside the box when considering new ways to support Black students. Research shows us that student organizations play a role in retaining Black students, but are student organizations able to fill the gaps left by the dismantling of the DEI programs?
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research is to begin to identify if student organizations can fill the gaps in support for Black students left by the dismantling of DEI programs. Knowing and understanding the components in DEI Centers that aid in retention can provide national student organizations and universities with the tools to provide the support that Black students need.
Research Questions
What are the components of Multicultural and Black Cultural Centers at Predominantly White Institutions in Wisconsin that support Black students’ persistence to graduation?
Which of these components are present in these three Black student organizations: The Impact Movement, National Society of Black Engineers, and National Pan-Hellenic Council?
