This study examined students perceptions of campus racial climate and the effects it has on their growth and development while attending a predominantly white research university (Research 1 classification) where black students are less than 3% of the student body. The study sought to illuminate the perceptions of campus climate and development as experienced by black and white students. Data were collected from four focus groups of black students, two of student athletes, one group of students from the recreational sports facility, and one from the multicultural services center, and from white students from various locations on campus. In all, 51 students participated in the focus groups. Findings show that students had chosen the university for various reasons, with black students more inclined to choose the university based on financial aid packages, and white students more likely to have relied on legacy and word of mouth. Students expressed the belief that a critical mass of minority students was necessary for development and change, and that this was lacking at the university. Personal and mentoring relationships were considered important for student growth and development, and black students perceived these as more important than did white students. The other education for black students included life lessons that they thought white students did not encounter, including survival skills needed for the white world. The study also suggests that the university's traditions are not inclusive of marginalized groups, and that black students experience overt and covert racism frequently. (Contains 19 references.) (SLD)