ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a new holistic conceptual model of Black woman college student success. It offers preliminary considerations and addresses how model fits into the theoretical literature, methodological approach, and choice to create a student-centric model rather than an institutional model. The chapter argues that Black women is a natural and timely extension of the theoretical literature. Student-centric model conceptualizes the most relevant qualities, traits, behaviors, and processes that Black women students themselves must develop and follow in order to achieve success. Sexism, racism, stereotypes, and other implicit and explicit institutional barriers to success are anticipated in model, thereby making it useful across institutional types and climates. The model predicts that the Black woman college student will experience holistic success after college if she participates in the maturation process to its fullest. Although conceptual modeling can describe, predict, and explain generally expected patterns or processes, the greatest limitation is the inability to account for all human variation.
