Abstract:

Since the beginning of the COVID–19 pandemic in the US, the system of higher education has been experiencing challenges that have rocked its structural foundation. Institutions have had to make drastic functional changes many times as the spread of the virus consumed more of the socio-economic fabric of American life. No institution of higher education escaped the ravages of the COVID–19 pandemic’s rapid infections and increased mortality of students, faculty, and staff from coast to coast. Basic responses were to close campus communities to face to face interactions. After closing to face-to-face interactions, operations were moved to online/remote operations. Many such actions were done hastily without the benefit of any solid pre-planning. Consequently, every institution had to revisit and revise plans that were initially implemented. All operational plans that were initially developed can be categorized into some of the three categories. The categorizations are: 1) Fully closed to all sectors of campus communities with only essential staff required to engage in face to face interactions 2) Partial closure for most of the faculty and staff operational sectors of campus communities with the student engagement fully online/remote 3) Partial closure for most of the faculty and staff operational sectors of campus communities with the student engagement fully online/remote but unit 50% of the student sector residing in modified on-campus housing. Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) was operationally engaged in some form of the three categories. Over the ensuing months, institutional operational plans for the fall term experienced many revisions before the actual opening. Notable occurrences were attempts to open modified fall term versions of Category 3. However, outbreaks of infections forced many such institutions to revert to category 1 to complete the fall term while minimizing more infections to sectors of the campuses. This study investigated the institutional responses to COVID-19 and outcomes experienced by HBCUs since the outbreak. Research questions were: 1) What were the predominant operational models implemented for fall term openings? 2) How successful were the institutions in completing the fall semester without serious outbreaks of COVID-19 infections? 3) What were the reported experiences of students with on-campus residency? 4) What were the reported experiences of students who were matriculating fully online/remote? A qualitative multiple case (67) study research design was devised to investigate the research questions. Selected HBCUs in the M-A, SE, and SW regions of the US were examined to assess the pandemic's impact on the continued viability relative to the research questions. Major findings indicated that institutions made the transition from face-to-face to online/remote systems of instruction, provided on-campus housing for students, provided laptop computers, and internet access for students who could not afford such amenities.

Keywords:

HBCU, instructional delivery method, cluster sampling, academic matriculation performance.