Purpose: As the population of immigrant-origin youth continues to increase in the school systems of the United States and Canada, this study examined the relationship between immigrant youths' feelings of belonging and their developing understanding of citizenship. Research Methods/Approach: Adopting an ecological framework, this qualitative,…

The Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) program is a welfare-to-work program in Pennsylvania meant to promote financial independence through education. Across the community colleges in the state of Pennsylvania, the KEYS program has often allowed financially disadvantaged students to succeed on par with - and often surpass - their non-KEYS…

The problem addressed in this study was the trend of students completing health sciences stackable credentials not pursuing the related health sciences associate degree after completing the stackable credential, despite the availability of the streamlined pathway. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study utilizing semi-structured…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the academic experiences of low socioeconomic status ESL learners enrolled in a mid-sized urban community college located in Pennsylvania. The theory that guided this study is Walberg's theory on educational productivity, as it looks at how learners' psychological…

This study examined minoritized student perceptions of connectedness through relationships, involvement, and environment in relation to their non-minoritized peers in rural Pennsylvania high schools. The study also examined academic and health risk behaviors of minoritized and non-minoritized students. A nonexperimental quantitative research…

On July 14, 2021, the Pennsylvania State Universities Board of Governors collectively approved a proposal to merge six Pennsylvania state universities. The three institutions in the West were California, Clarion, and Edinboro. Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield were consolidated in the Northeast. The board then hosted a publicly available…

This study explores the impact of student engagement on the success and involvement of undergraduate students. Student Engagement throughout this study includes extracurricular activities, mentoring opportunities for students, and advising experiences that students encounter during college. A further focus on the experiences of African…

In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 forced the suspension of most U.S. education abroad programs, study abroad students returned home, summer programs were canceled, and international educators pondered the unlikelihood of resuming fall 2020 study abroad; larger questions about the future of international education and global learning with limited…

This qualitative narrative research study explores the reasons that undergraduate transfer students make college and career planning decisions. The insights of community college students who expressed interest in completing a bachelor's degree but did not enroll at a university were compared with the perspectives of university students enrolled in…

Sexually active college students in the United States have alarming rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Varying degrees of sexual health knowledge and attitudes among college students are an outcome of sexuality education in the K-12 school systems with abstinence-only or comprehensive focus. Community college…

The idea of mentoring in higher education is considered a good thing for students and faculty. What is missing in the research is how does mentoring influence and shape the student experience, does mentoring help retention, and how does it contribute to student development? (Crisp, Baker, Griffin, Lunsford, Pifer, 2017). The mentoring relationship…

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of low-income single-mothers attending two community colleges in Pennsylvania recognized by the Institute for Women's Policy Research as being supportive of student parents. Specifically, this study sought a deeper understanding of the experiences and perceptions of…

As some community college students know all too well, it's difficult to concentrate on your studies if you are hungry, don't have a roof over your head, lack adequate transportation, or just had your laptop stolen and don't have the money for a new one. In some cases, it makes staying in school, period, very challenging. Recognizing the roadblocks…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence international students' sense of belonging. An in-depth review of existing research on sense of belonging helped me identify 18 factors closely connected to the sense of belonging of international students. I categorized these factors into four groups: (a) academic integration,…

This study asked two primary questions: (1) to what extent do distance learners find value in student support services; and (2) is there a relationship between the value placed on student support services and students' sense of belonging in the university's learning community? Value was defined as the frequency of use, importance, and satisfaction…