The empirical foundation of an architecture of student success.
The institute's research begins with a published doctoral dissertation on six-year completion outcomes for African American males across HBCUs, non-HBCU public institutions, and private institutions. Every framework that follows is anchored in that study.
Keiser University · 2020
Beasley, T. L. (2020). An Examination of Completion Rate and Time to Completion for African American Males Attending HBCUs Compared to Those Attending Non-HBCUs and Private Institutions: A 6-Year Span. Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, Keiser University. ProQuest publication number 27957730.
Institutional design, not funding category, drives persistence.
The study examined six-year completion rates and time-to-completion for African American males across three institution types: HBCUs, non-HBCU public institutions, and private institutions. Archival data came from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). A series of mixed-model ANOVAs addressed the research questions, supported by descriptive statistics on institutional trends.
African American males at HBCUs completed at dramatically higher rates than peers at non-HBCU public or private institutions.
Five years was the optimal completion window when comparing four years or less, five years, and six years.
Federal appropriations had no significant effect on completion. Student-to-teacher ratio was statistically significant but minimal in comparison to institution type.
"The recommendation is to study the characteristics of HBCUs that yield the highest completion rates and translate those characteristics into operating practice across other institution types."
Three lines of inquiry the institute carries forward.
The dissertation set the empirical floor. The two books and the Zenith engagement extend the floor into operating practice. The research threads below name the connective tissue.
Institutional design and student persistence.
Why do African American males complete at dramatically higher rates inside HBCUs than inside non-HBCU public or private institutions? The dissertation answers structural design, not funding category. The research thread continues that line: which design characteristics yield persistence, and how can they be translated into operating practice across institution types.
Mentorship infrastructure as a system, not a program.
Mentorship is treated in most institutions as a program adjacent to the academic calendar. The research argues that it must be designed as connective tissue across academic, financial, and developmental systems. The Mentorship Multiplier framework is the field-level instantiation of this thread.
Retention as systems engineering.
Lean Six Sigma rigor applied to the operations beneath persistence. Where does friction live in the student journey, where is variation introduced, and which redesigned processes recover the most students. Retention is treated as recurring revenue and as a structural design problem, not a student-deficit problem.
Working papers are in development across each thread.
Beasley Institute Press will issue working papers and executive briefings developed against the three research threads. The editorial standard is that every paper must produce an artifact a partner institution can put to operational use. Inquiries about early access can be sent through the contact channel below.
Working paper cover · design study