I Too Dream: Using Appreciative Advising to Combat Student Retention Challenges at HBCUs

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to provide an overview of an alternative approach to advising Black students at Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU). The appreciative advising approach assists advisors in not defining their students by their current and past situations. Rather, it embraces the unique individuality of each student and promotes a sense of authenticity, empowerment, and achievement. The authors position this paper by providing an overview of mentoring and advising at HBCUs, theoretical underpinnings of Appreciative Education, and providing an in-depth analysis into Appreciative Advising as a tool for empowering Black students at HBCUs.