Students from low-income families consistently trail behind their peers in retention and degree attainment. Research on college student experiences suggests that low-income students experience "cultural mismatch" at college--they feel that their backgrounds are at odds with the middle-class values dominant on campus (Armstrong &…

Internationalisation has recently become one of the major developmental goals within many institutions of higher education, where the use of languages on campus plays an important role. While research focusing on the use of English in higher education is growing, little attention has been paid to out-of-class contexts. This paper reports on the…

High functioning students with autism spectrum disorders are being admitted into institutions of higher education at an increasing rate. Although these students often have strong cognitive abilities, impairments in social behaviors and communication may negatively influence their ability to navigate a residential experience. Developing peer…

Students enter college with preconceived ideas about what their experience of college life will be like. Since the first Hollywood film about college, movies have contributed to society's perceptions of what it means to be a college student. Contrary to the images promoted by higher education marketing departments, Hollywood's portrayals…

This article describes a study that explored factors which influenced undergraduate students' perceptions of the racial climate at a predominantly white liberal arts university in the South. Mixed methods results suggest that race, aspects of the institutional climate, and frequent interracial dining experiences in the campus cafeteria…

American college housing is beginning to introduce gender-neutral housing, or the housing of students in the same room regardless of gender. This study provides a descriptive overview of gender-neutral housing from 148 universities and documents central areas of debate in current policy discussions. Information regarding gender-neutral housing…

Previous research suggests that the far-reaching impacts of hurricanes include the academic performance of students. In an examination of such impacts, we found a trend toward self-perceived decline in some performance indicators relative to students at peer universities. However, few longitudinal impacts were found, perhaps because of the sense…

The purpose of this study was to conduct exploratory research to examine what undergraduate students learn by participating in and holding a leadership role in residence hall governments. Alumni were interviewed to determine the degree of learning that lasts through their entrance into a professional work environment. Six recent alumni, ranging in…

Most workers aspire to jobs where they are highly satisfied. This satisfaction may come from remuneration, opportunities for advancement, the work itself, or other factors. Studies have shown that job satisfaction has the potential to reduce absenteeism and employee turnover, but we still know little about the specific satisfaction levels of…

Students, their parents, and educators trust that a study-abroad experience is the best way to increase linguistic proficiency. The professional literature, however, shows a much more complex picture. Gains in linguistic proficiency appear to depend on variables such as whether the students experience a homestay or dormitory, the length of time…

While multiple and competing understandings of sororities exist in popular culture, academic research on sororities tends to homogenize the experience of sorority women, simplifying their existence to a quantitative understanding of specific behaviors such as those associated with binge drinking, eating disorders, and heterosexuality.…

English as a lingua franca studies (ELF) from a socio-interactional perspective have illustrated the subtle actions of interlocutors that highlight their "situated identities" (Zimmerman, 1998) in talk-in-interaction. Many of these studies have focused on speakers' identities associated with ethnicity, nationality, or their first or…

The purpose of this study was to examine dissertations that were published in the U.S. during the past 5 years that related to collegiate housing. The dissertations were examined using a bounded qualitative meta-analysis approach. Each dissertation was examined using three questions: What were the methods/attributes of the research? What were the…

Background: The consumption of alcohol is ubiquitous on many college and university campuses. For some freshmen students, drinking may even be considered a "right of passage." Purpose: This study examined college freshmen who intentionally drink alcohol to get drunk (DTGD). Methods: Survey data from 307 incoming freshmen college students living in…

Faculty-in-residence programs in residence halls are unique opportunities for student-faculty involvement, with high levels of commitment from faculty, students, staff, and institutional resources. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores a faculty-in-residence program at a four-year public university where the FIR program has resulted in…