Although students with specific learning disabilities are graduating from high school and being accepted into college at higher rates, research shows that the majority of these students are unsuccessful at the collegiate level (Alvarez-Perez et al., 2012; Connor, 2009; Gil, 2007; Lightfoot et al., 2018; Newman et al., 2011). This study is…

This research focuses on exploring the experiences of Hmong students at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), using qualitative inquiry and Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) model as a framework. The study recognizes the importance of disaggregated data and highlights the need for universities to provide support and…

This quantitative research study examined factors predicting student success via student course grades, specifically focusing on Underrepresented Minorities (URM) students and women, collectively known as Disproportionately Impacted (DI) math-based STEM (GEMP-STEM) students at San Diego State University. Utilizing a Faculty Survey and secondary…

The quality of support provided to students in higher education can have a powerful impact on the student's experience, their perceptions of challenges, and their overall academic success, particularly retaining in and completing their degree. Though many universities create robust services to support undergraduate students, existing literature…

First-year students enrolling into higher education institutions experience multiple transitions requiring the support of student success programs. Students who enter college undecided about a major face additional hurdles to their success and may experience low academic self-efficacy as a result. A strengths-based approach to assisting these…

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the shared lived experiences of undergraduate college students with anxiety disorders at two universities in the Southeastern United States. One institution is a mid-sized, public, nonsectarian university; the other is a small, private,…

This dissertation builds on literature centering first-generation college students (FGCS) with immigrant parentage in order to develop an understanding of how many of their unique and intersectional experiences may function as assets that could promote retention and degree completion. The sample is comprised of 30 FGCS who are also first- or…

The design of academic library spaces has become a significant concern for library deans in recent years. While there is a plethora of literature on the design of library spaces, there is scant empirical literature on the influence of library spaces on student success. To fill that gap, I collected and analyzed graduate and undergraduate student…

Asian American college student success has traditionally been framed from a perspective of successful academic performance and degree completion that perpetuates the model minority stereotype and overlooks the actual challenges they may experience in college. Many bicultural Asian American students manage the individual and family acculturation…

The Division of Student Engagement and Enrollment Services at Old Dominion University (ODU) submitted a Request for Assistance to examine the challenges sophomore students face that can lead to attrition. A doctoral research team conducted a exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study consisting of a literature review, focus groups and interviews…

First-generation, low-income students currently complete higher education degrees at lower rates than their peers. It is well established that focusing on a students' academic and social integration during their first four semesters can aide in their degree persistence. This study aims to provide ways in which higher education professionals can…

Academic advising in higher education has been affected by many factors since its development at Harvard College in 1636 (Brubacher & Rudy, 1997). Currently in higher education, 33% of first year students do not return for their second year of academic work ("U.S. News and World Report," 2015); only 60% of students graduate college…

The purpose of this study was to explore the academic performance of entering college students in their first enrolled college English course by comparing students who entered with prior college English coursework earned through Dual Enrollment, with prior college English coursework earned through another accelerated mechanism such as AP or IB,…

In this study, I sought to discover factors that contributed to candidate success in gaining admission to the San Jose State University Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) Training Program. Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that the interplay between an individual's personal characteristics and life experiences lead to self-efficacy…

This study investigated the effect of implementing a flipped classroom model, constructed using Bloom's taxonomy, task-based instruction (TBI) and Gagne's nine events, on student learning, perceptions of learning, and student interactions in Chinese College English as Foreign Language (EFL) courses. In this embedded mixed methods study, the sample…