This study examines Black students’ perceptions of their campus climate for perspective taking and how their perceptions influence their participation in high impact practices. Using ordinary least squares regression, I analyzed how the psychological climate, behavioral climate, and institutional structural diversity predict Black students’ perceptions and engagement in comparison to their Asian American, Hawaiian, Latinx, Multiracial, Native American, and White peers.
Results from this study revealed that Black students have a positive perception of their campus climate for perspective taking. For the most part, Black students’ perceptions of campus climate were not significantly associated with participating in high-impact practices. However, Black students that had more positive perceptions of sources of support for engaging with diverse perspectives participated in high impact practices like study abroad programs and capstone projects. There were significant differences between Black students and Latinx and Asian American students in their perceptions of the general campus climate for perspective taking. Latinx students have a more positive perception than Black students, while Asian American students have a less positive perception than Black students. Black students were also more likely to participate in study abroad and required diversity courses than were Multiracial students. Among all students, there was a relationship between perceptions of the general campus climate and engagement in several high impact practices.