Research suggests that the cultural homogeneity of Christian college campuses presents challenges for people of color to navigate. White cultural norms influence attitudes about race. The way people at an institution talk about race reflects the institution's campus racial climate. The purpose of this study was to explore how members of a…

Overall, there has been an increase in students earning bachelor's degrees, but for first-generation college students (FGCS), the overall percentage earning a degree is decreasing. Overall, the available literature provides information about the factors that lead to the disparities experienced by FGCS (i.e., socioeconomic factors, cultural…

This study is an exploration of experiences of Chicanx butch lesbian students who are navigating higher education environments in San Antonio, TX. Focused on the intersection of race, gender, and sexual identities, the testimonios in this study highlight how Chicanx butch lesbian students subvert and challenge dominant heteronormative and…

The landscape of higher education campus environments continues to change as student populations diversify (Parsons, 2023; Renn & Reason, 2013) and campus spaces extend into the digital realm. This critical phenomenological study examined organizational features that racialize digital campus ecology by examining the phenomena of interest,…

A post-secondary degree is frequently a pathway to career advancement and higher earning potential, and although African American women's college enrollment has increased substantially, their graduation rates have not experienced comparable growth. Prior research demonstrates that social adjustment to college predicts persistence and attrition. It…

This phenomenological study delves into the experiences of Black female college (BFC) students at predominately white institutions (PWIs), focusing on their conceptualization and experience of belonging within the academic environment of a PWI. Grounded in social constructivist epistemology, the research employed qualitative interviews and…

LGBTQ+ students exist on college campuses in greater numbers than ever before. Campus culture directly impacts how LGBTQ+ students experience college and contributes to their overall sense of belonging. Campus culture in turn is shaped by students' access to resources and the effectiveness of those resources. Students' experiences, for better or…

The creation of the cisgender binary through the advent of settler colonialism in the land now known as the United States contributed to centuries of violence against and erasure of trans* communities. Structural oppression against trans*ness at a societal level contributes to similar modes of oppression in microcosms of society, including all…

Higher education diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become an imperative for institutional change in an ever-changing pluralistic society. The impact of diversity on college campuses has come a long way since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Chang, 2005), but there is still needed work. Higher education institutions continue to…

Cultural centers on college and university campuses in the U.S. are deeply connected to student activism such that institutions were prompted by protests staged by Black, Asian American, and Latinx students to establish the first ethnic-specific centers in the 1970s and the first multicultural centers in the 1980s. Similar to their predecessors…

Despite years' worth of focus on improving the success and retention of Black men in community colleges across the nation, an opportunity gap still exists between success and retention rates for Black men and their White counterparts. Much of the research conducted on Black men and their success and retention has been framed from a deficit model,…

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Chicana community college students who transferred to a four-year institution earning a baccalaureate degree and eventually a doctorate degree of education (Ed.D.). Their stories were viewed using Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit), and Community Cultural Wealth…

Volunteerism in the undergraduate years can be a predictor highly correlated with remarkable increase in social integrity, civic-mindedness, (Astin & Sax, 1998; Eyler & Giles, 1999; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Vogelgesang & Astin, 2000; Cruce & Moore, 2007, 2012; Johnson, 2014; Plante & Halman, 2016), continued…

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of a Latinx cultural center in facilitating the sense of belonging of Latinx/o men at a predominantly White institution. This study examines how Latinx/o men perceive, experience, and participate in cultural centers, specifically from an ecological viewpoint. This research examines the Latinx…

The need to understand how Muslim students experience college is a growing concern, given the number of incidents that indicate a hostile environment after the events of September 11, and the subsequent war against terror. Muslim graduate students are more visible on campuses across the United States. This study examines the experiences of Muslim…