Assistant Dean Dr. Tammy Warner released findings from a study on racial micro-aggressions for students of color in college classrooms.

The study categorizes classroom racial microaggressions into six factors: Exclusionary classroom dynamic, discomfort around racial/ethnic classroom conversations; racial/ethnic jokes and stereotypes, professor’s negative expectations, lack of positive classroom dynamic, and unsafe classroom learning space for racially/ethnically diverse students.

Students who had been the only student of color in a classroom, at some point in their academic career, reported more frequent experiences with classroom racial microaggressions. Female students of color and those majoring in a STEM field also experienced classroom racial micro-aggressions with greater frequency.

Warner’s study also measured relationships between experiences with classroom racial microaggressions and college outcomes, such as intent to transfer, and course failure. The results suggest that negative expectations from course professors and a lack of positive classroom dynamic may lead to greater odds of intent to transfer. Similarly, an unsafe learning space and lack of a positive classroom dynamic may lead to greater odds of course failure among students of color.

The findings offer insight to higher education institutions toward increasing degree completion, and implications for how colleges can work to improve outcomes for students of color by focusing on the classroom experience.

“This work has implications beyond the collegiate experience and is relevant to interpersonal skills necessary to succeed in a global workforce,” Warner said. “Classroom interactions can closely mimic group interactions observed in the workplace.”