Black students report unequal treatment at Ohio universities, according to report
Aug. 29—Black students reported many negative experiences while completing their education at Ohio universities or colleges, according to a new report from the Ohio Black Student Association.
Those negative experiences included interactions with campus police, worries about being able to pay for college, noting places to avoid on campus because the students felt unwelcome, and more.
"Some had very negative experiences, or uncomfortable experiences or didn't feel comfortable going to the different areas on campus," said Everrett Smith, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati who conducted research for the report.
The report comes after a proposed law at the statehouse that would have restricted diversity and inclusion efforts failed over the summer, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that ended affirmative action on college campuses.
Gary Neal Jr., a Wright State University student who plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in mechanical engineering, participated in the survey as he was then-president of Wright State's Black Student Association.
Neal said as WSU's BSA president, he interacted frequently with Wright State administrators, including Wright State's president, Sue Edwards. He said when issues came up at Wright State, administrators and faculty were usually supportive of the students.
Neal said during his time at the university, WSU worked with the BSA on campus safety, increasing diversity and inclusion, student wellness with a focus on Black students, dining services and other issues.
But he also said he feels that collaboration was a rare experience.
"I know it's not always common that administration at universities will thoroughly and just consistently work with student leaders or students at the level that we were working with them," Neal said. "As much as I saw the president of the university on a regular basis, it's shocking and baffling how much they cared."
According to a report from Policy Matters Ohio, a liberal think tank, from earlier this year, the median hourly pay for Black workers was $16.92 in 2021. For white workers, it was $21.26, the report said. That racial wage gap exists at all education levels in Ohio.
Black workers with advanced college degrees were paid a median hourly wage of $30.32 in 2021, compared to $35.64 for white workers. For high school graduates the pay difference was $14.73 hourly for Black workers and $18.01 for white workers.
But according to a U.S. Census report from February, while about 42% of non-Hispanic white people in the U.S. had a college degree in 2022, just 29% of the Black population in the country had obtained at least a bachelor's degree the same year.
BSA surveyed 361 students who attended 12 institutions across Ohio, including Wright State University, Ohio State University, University of Dayton, Central State University, Wilberforce University and others.
However, just one community college, Cuyahoga Community College, was included in the report, with two respondents.
Some key statistics from the report included: — 46% of Black respondents at predominately white institutions (PWIs) said that their racial identity led to added stress. — Across universities, 57% of respondents said they feel they belong at their schools. But at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs, like Wilberforce and Central State) 74% of students felt they belonged, while 51% of Black students at PWIs said they felt they belonged. — 17% of Black students experienced a negative interaction with campus police, while 32% of Black students said they didn't feel safer with a campus police presence. — 60% of students, at some point, were worried about their enrollment because of financial aid/money concerns and 49% of students were worried about paying back student loans. — Only 13% of respondents gave their current institution an "A" grade on how they are doing to support Black students. — Approximately 33% of students gave their institution a B, and another 33% gave their university a C. — Nearly 25% of students affirmed that there are places that Black students should avoid on campus.
