The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological research was to describe the experiences of students of alternative North Carolina high schools as they transitioned from traditional conventional high schools to an exclusively online curriculum at alternative high schools and to understand the impact of that educational format on…

The teaching profession is facing difficulty recruiting and retaining talent in the U.S., especially in STEM subjects. This study identifies the key experiences that shaped the academic paths and career plans of 10 pre-service teachers in STEM education who are participating in a loan forgiveness programme in North Carolina. Using life history…

This Proceedings document begins with the text of the keynote by Dr. Michelle Caswell, followed by seven papers, representing a sampling of the symposium presentations from the 2022 Digitizing Hidden Collections (DHC) Symposium, a capstone event for the Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program. This program was funded by the…

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand how learning to play the ukulele influenced the music identity of elementary education majors. Eighteen participants (17 females, 1 male) from two universities created YouTube playlists and recorded solo ukulele performances for their YouTube channel. Music identity perceptions were…

Higher education is more competitive than ever before. New terms for curricular gains--for example badges and competencies are becoming the norm. Not all student experiences are created equal. In the "curriculum of experience," Elon University has advanced and deepened a 20-year-old general education requirement that students complete…

Early colleges are intended to serve students from populations typically underrepresented in college and to prepare those students with the academic skills and dispositions to succeed in college. Another important attribute of early colleges is that they help students earn college credit during their high school years. Many such early colleges are…

Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill teamed up with UnidosUS to explore whether and how debt-driven higher education system makes it difficult for students to finish a college program or degree. Recognizing the increased national attention to equity in higher education and the dearth of data focused on Latino students, the…

Participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) allows students greater and equitable access to the high-impact practice, especially in the STEM disciplines. In a National Science Foundation-sponsored project, small groups of students completed authentic research projects in eight introductory to upper level geoscience…

Community colleges serve as entryways to higher education and a sustainable future for tens of thousands of students in the United States each year and are designed to provide affordable access to education, particularly for lower-income individuals. Within the United States, postsecondary student completion is a significant issue in academia, and…

This case study examines the relationship between school-based performing arts participation and academic identity development for African American male high school students. Participants addressed how their engagement in a school-based performing arts program influenced their academic achievement and school experiences. The researcher used…

Dual enrollment programs across the nation have gained positive attention for increasing access to affordable higher education, elevating academic rigor, and encouraging timely degree completion. However, dual enrollment programs differ significantly in design. This study analyzed the college transfer sector of the Career and College Promise (CCP)…

For some students, intellectual curiosity and leadership are innate. For many, it must be nurtured. The Shaw University Honors College is an academic center of encouragement, interaction, and care for a diverse population of students. Many of them would otherwise never conceive of the marvelous opportunities and experiences they share during their…

This study explored the interconnectedness of the transfer student experience and used it as a foundational framework to inform the administrative leadership on a North Carolina, midsized, historically Black college of the existing transfer students' experiences. This study focused on (a) how transfer students at a midsized historically black…

Educational borderlands are the physical and/or conceptual landscapes where one must negotiate notions of cultural difference as she or he lives and learns--landscapes that envelop an array of pedagogical and cultural spaces, yet are typically guarded by exclusionary tactics. In this article, we examine how US immigrant youth navigate three…

Higher levels of civic and community engagement in higher education are positively associated with students' academic performance and they also build upon citizenship skills such as informed voting. Yet, while these are worthy and important outcomes of higher education, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have more difficulty navigating…