Of the 3.5 million first-time in college, full time students who began college in fall 2017, 74% returned for fall 2018, with 61.7% retained at their starting institution. Covid-19 has negatively impacted retention; in addition to normal attrition, one of every five students did not return to campus in fall 2020. Researchers have gauged both…

This phenomenological study explored both the students' lived experiences of placement processes at an urban community college and their consciousness of those experiences. By applying phenomenological methodology within an engaged inquiry framework, this study integrates multiple perspectives into a narrative thread to make sense of students'…

The pursuit of higher education symbolizes a profound and transformative journey, particularly for international students who embark on the path of studying abroad. This dissertation undertakes an in-depth exploration of the well-being of Arab women pursuing their graduate studies in the United States (US), emphasizing four crucial dimensions of…

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the lived experiences of female United States Army veterans who have enrolled in an academic undergraduate program post-discharge. As higher education continues to be an important transition point for female veterans, understanding the lived experiences of this population provides higher education…

Many Latinx students whose families have resided in the rural areas of the United States for generations face racist, nativist behavior particular to rural spaces that is pervasive and all encompassing. Living and learning under small town oppression affects Latinx students' educational aspirations, trajectory and achievement of higher education…

Institutions have invested considerably in resources and staff to increase student success and persistence. However, retention rates have remained fairly steady over time. The purpose of this study was to synthesize undergraduate student persistence models into a singular parsimonious model using meta-analytic structural equation modeling to test…

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored how transition challenges affect Chinese international undergraduate students' persistence in U.S. higher education institutions and identified the types of support schools should provide to improve students' persistence. This study conducted semistructured, open-ended interviews via telephone with…

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlation study was to address the lack of research regarding the impacts of persistence factors on the educational outcomes of Hispanic college students. The study was a predictive correlation design with a criterion variable of grade point average (GPA). Predictor variables were the persistence…

This study will examine factors that contribute to the decline in achievement scores in reading and mathematics when students transition from elementary to their first year in middle school or junior high school. It will test the hypothesis that motivation is not a function of mentors, academic support, teams, parental involvement, transition…

Youth with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) may be negatively impacted by their behavioral excesses and deficits across domains requiring more intensive supports and treatment than can be provided in a typical school. As a result, some of these youth will receive their supports and treatment from placement in a residential treatment facility…

The transition from a public middle school to a public high school represents a pivotal point in the educational trajectory of a student. To combat freshman transition challenges, school district administrators created Freshman Academy models. This study examines the impact of two Freshman Academy models, isolated and school-within-a-school, on…

Coming from a completely different culture, Saudi female students encounter a number of challenges adapting to the American culture. These acculturation challenges may affect their academic, social, and life experiences in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the acculturation challenges encountered by Saudi female students…

College-bound students move from various high school environments to a collegiate setting; this transition requires acclimation. There is increased interest in the understanding of college student adjustment to decrease student attrition, thus adjustment to college has been studied in different contexts, including social and academic. The…

This dissertation responds to two aspects of the homesickness literature: its characterization as a mental health concern, and its lack of empirical attention in the United States. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of homesickness oriented to an affirming and sociocultural lens, and to do so in the context of…

This study sought to identify trends and incidence levels of college student depression, anxiety disorder, and suicide at United States colleges and universities. A public health approach was employed to ascertain if institutional and social determinants of mental illness are acting upon students. Once specific underlying factors were identified,…