“At some point, the rubber meets the road”: A Case of Racialized Recruitment and Yield Practices at One Historically White Land-Grant in the Deep South

Abstract

This critical qualitative case study interrogated the racialized recruitment and enrollment practices at one historically and predominantly white land-grant institution in the Deep South. The purpose of this study was to interrogate how Magnolia University, nested within the increasingly hostile post-affirmative action/anti-DEI legal landscape, prioritized engaging with Black prospective students. Five participants – three professional staff members and two currently enrolled Black student leaders – responsible for supporting recruitment and enrollment efforts were interviewed. To make meaning of the data, Ray’s (2019) theory of racialized organizations was employed as an analytic framework using writing as inquiry techniques. Findings reveal how the positive credentialing of whiteness at Magnolia University guided the unequal resource distribution and differential agency of institutional actors responsible for engaging with prospective Black students. As such, Magnolia University is currently at a crossroads between prioritizing (over)compliance with inequitable legislation and their espoused DEI values. Implications for practice, policy, and future research that prioritizes Black student recruitment, enrollment (and retention) for historically and predominantly white land-grant institutions like Magnolia University are discussed.