New study shows jobs increase academic engagement for African-American students

Published: March 25, 2010

By Hannah Sykes

CLEMSON — Working in a part- or full-time job in addition to school may increase African-American student engagement, according to a new study by Clemson University professor Lamont Flowers.

In his study “The Effects of Work on African-American College Students,” Flowers looked at the effects of working in on- and off-campus jobs on African-American students. On-campus jobs significantly increased engagement in intellectual growth experiences, and while not to the same degree, off-campus jobs also had a positive impact on engagement.

The study examined data from more than 4,000 African-American students reported in the National Survey of Student Engagement in 2004.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 41.2 percent of African-American students worked full time during the 2007-2008 academic year, compared to 33 percent of white students, 25.4 percent of Asian students and 34.4 percent of Hispanic or Latino students.

African-American students who earned mostly As in their coursework were more likely to work full time rather than part time.

“The statistical results demonstrate that working on campus provides African-American students with another opportunity, beyond the classroom, to engage their institutional environments in meaningful ways,” said Flowers.

The study is published in a new book titled “Understanding the Working College Student: New Research and its Implications for Policy and Practice.”

Flowers is the Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education. He is executive director of the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education, where he specializes in issues relating to African-American educational experiences and diversity in education.

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