Complexities in African international students' adaptation and experiences impact their success in their new social and academic environment as these complexities go beyond the diversity of socio-cultural background to the collective classification of identification, resulting in less provision of assistance by institutional structures of support.…

Foundational to this evaluation study, the participating institution aspired to improve its retention rate. Students' perceived sense of belonging has been identified as an important variable related to student retention and persistence (Bean & Eaton, 2000; Strayhorn 2012; Strayhorn 2019; Tinto, 2017). For students to succeed beyond their…

Mutually beneficially relationships with alumni are facilitated through engagement opportunities that are valued by alumni, inspire loyalty and philanthropic giving, and help to improve the reputation of the institution overall. The Pitt Alumni Association has not identified best practices to provide consistent, meaningful engagement opportunities…

Available research discusses the first-generation undergraduate experience, graduate students' sense of belonging, and first-generation graduate students, but little research shows the themes that impact a first-generation graduate student's sense of belonging. Understanding the first-generation graduate students' experience as a marginalized…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research was to explore how students described their experiences within a semester-long, new-student orientation program as contributing to their year-to-year re-enrollment at a community college in Arizona. Two research questions guided the stud. Exhaustive review of prior research indicated the…

The challenge of managing student behavior and fostering a positive school culture has become increasingly important, especially among schools serving diverse and marginalized populations. Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) offer a promising solution by focusing on conflict resolution and relationship-building rather than punitive measures. This…

Efforts like holistic review admissions by nursing programs to create a more ethnically diverse student body have led to increased enrollment of students with underrepresented ethnic and cultural social identities. However, these students continue to experience higher attrition rates compared to their White, middle-class peers. Although both sense…

Loneliness was declared a national epidemic in May 2023 and an international global threat in November 2023. Sense of belonging, or lack thereof, can greatly contribute to loneliness. Students who feel a sense of belonging at their institution tend to be more engaged and experience higher success rates, which can lead to increased persistence and…

The broad goal of this study was to explore the experiences of Black fashion alumni while they were undergraduate students at a large, public university in the Midwestern United States. Participant demographics, their social capital, and their attitudes towards technology were examined to understand the impact of these variables on their…

This study investigated the theoretical connection between student thriving and academic advising (Louis & Schreiner, 2020; Schreiner, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020) and sought to provide a better understanding of the relationships between satisfaction with academic advising and other college experiences that are associated with thriving. This study…

This quantitative study aimed to explore the relationship between minority and temporary minority graduate counseling students. In particular, the researcher analyzed the relationship between cultural affiliation and institutional support, the predictor variables, and sense of belonging, the outcome variable, amongst 67 minority and temporary…

Taking into consideration a decline in value of the higher education experience, this research was done in order to determine alternative ways to assess value of higher education. Use of Maslow's Theory of Human Motivation as the framework, as well as a thorough literature review, highlights the importance of sense of safety and belonging in…

Community colleges have historically faced significant challenges in retaining students, particularly from underserved populations. While extracurricular activities like athletics have been shown to enhance student engagement and persistence, the specific impact of athletic participation on retention and sense of belonging among diverse student…

The study examined first-generation Latinas' experience in higher education, specifically those involved in Latina sororities. Research has documented the many obstacles first-generation Latina students experience, which provides higher education the opportunity to address the concerns and improve academic achievement. However, more research needs…

Retention rates of honors students in experiential learning programs have dropped in recent years as students left these programs at an unprecedented rate -- much to the dismay of administrators (Deka, 2020). Decreased year-to-year retention numbers affect the anticipated growth rates and sustainability of these programs. As current honors…