Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Leadership

First Reader/Committee Chair

Louque, Angela

Abstract

This qualitative case study sought to examine the impact of the sense of belonging on Black community college students in the Umoja Program. Students who participated in this study were enrolled at a community college in Southern California. The students were interviewed using an online format. The data retrieved through interviews were transcribed, analyzed, and grouped into themes that illustrate the lived experiences of the student participants. This study explores the differences in a sense of belonging between Black men and Black women in the community college system.

There were three central themes that emerged from the analysis of the data. Those themes were (a) academic support, (b) culturally affirming space and community, and (c) leadership and increased involvement at Mountain Top Community College or MTCC. These themes revealed the specific ways in which the Umoja Program impacted the sense of belonging as students persisted toward graduation. The recommendations that appear at the end of this study seek to offer community colleges a model of supporting Black students. The recommendations center on the ability of community colleges to increase the sense of belonging for Black students as a significant indicator of increasing successful graduation and transfer. Researching models of practice that increase student success among Black students could help other community colleges with similar Black student populations enhance retention efforts toward completion.

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