Objective: The goal of this research was to uncover narratives around food access and consumption among Black women who attend HBCUs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: Black women, ages 18-25. Methods: Focus groups were used to understand how participants defined healthy foods as well as barriers and facilitators of…

Objective: This study investigated rates and predictors of mental health issues (e.g., depression and anxiety) in a sample of college students currently attending a historically Black college/university (HBCU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants/Methods: 98 undergraduate students (81 female and 17 male) completed an online survey containing…

Objective: Young adults of age 18-29 years old account for the most COVID-19 cases in the US, and ethnic groups were affected disproportionately. Correctly wearing a face mask remains a critical intervention for COVID-19 mitigation. The study aimed to examine how well Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) residents adhered to mask…

Research in this retrospective cohort study compared student outcome in introductory Biology at an HBCU, and the impact of COVID-19. This quantitative study utilized introductory level student biology data collected via the institution's data reporting system to analyze changes in student achievement prior to the pandemic and after the pandemic. A…

This qualitative study employs narrative inquiry methodology to elicit information from 10 mid- and senior-level administrators at eight of the 13 federally-designated historically Black community colleges (HBCCs) in the nation about their institution's response to the challenges of change presented by COVID-19. Specifically, the semi-structured…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption in higher education, requiring rapid adaptation from colleges and universities worldwide. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States faced unique challenges serving their disproportionately low-income, first-generation racial minority students. This qualitative…

Higher education administrators, faculty, and staff across diverse institutional contexts grapple with college students' persisting and increasing mental health concerns. Further, recent research has discussed mental health challenges Black collegians encounter, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health issues among Black college…

Integrating social issues into biology courses may be of particular interest for educators seeking to create inclusive science environments that support diverse populations. This social justice-focused service-learning project extended a partnership between a social justice institute and a nonprofit organization into an undergraduate introductory…

Prior research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted American college students; however, few studies have focused on first-year students and their experiences with attending college during unprecedented circumstances. To address this gap, first-year college students (N = 268) completed online questionnaires assessing their…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of selected Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) faculty toward implementing universal design for learning (UDL) guidelines and applications in the online environment. Data was collected through semi-structured interview sessions with ten…

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States, particularly small HBCUs, are no strangers to crises and unforeseen challenges. Through various challenges, including financial instability, low student enrollment, and accreditation challenges and crises--many beyond leadership's control--most HBCUs have been able to…

Background: COVID-19 has spurred a global crisis that has disrupted everyday lives and impacted the traditional methods, experiences, and abilities of higher education institutions' students, faculty, and staff, especially at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Purpose/Hypothesis: Given the pressing need demonstrated by the…

Drawing on findings from the author's recently published COVID-19 study (Strayhorn, 2022), the purpose of this article is to highlight some of the major lessons that HEI leaders learned while navigating the uncertainties of the global pandemic, especially in terms of fostering a strong sense of belonging. First, the author defines sense of…

The COVID-19 pandemic redefined how chemistry laboratories were taught. It also introduced a racial health disparity for Black and Brown people. The General Chemistry I laboratory curriculum at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD, was redesigned to meet student needs during this challenging time. While surrounded by…

Over the last decade, there has been a national effort to prepare a more diverse student population for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. While there are a variety of best teaching practices in undergraduate STEM education, student engagement has been widely used to improve student learning. Specifically,…