ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how the traditional frameworks have placed the onus of student success on the student as opposed to the institution. It provides a description of seven core elements that are indicative of institutional responsibility research on Black men. These elements include: an applied orientation; appropriate theorizing; accounting for student effort; disaggregation of data; focus on the effect of institutional actions; perceptions of the institution; and personal factors as filters. The chapter discusses the frameworks of old that have shaped the epistemological and philosophical orientation of scholarship and practice as contributing causes for disparate outcomes. The importance of a firm foundation cannot be understated. The biblical allegory of a house built on sand versus a house built on rock illustrates the importance of a proper foundation. The house built on sand was supported by a weak foundation, so when tested by the powers of the rain, floods, and wind, the house fell.
