Among college students in the United States nationally, non-suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviors have become alarmingly and increasingly common. Among those willing to disclose, recent estimates indicate 25-30% engaged in NSSI in 2020 alone. Prevalence is significantly elevated among students who identify as a sexual minority (i.e., lesbian,…

Students at public schools across the United States are far from homogeneous; in fact, some studies suggest that a fifth of all students identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Yet while diversity reports include data on race and socioeconomic status, sexual- and gender-minority youth on high school campuses often remain invisible or…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students are at-risk for high rates of bullying and harassment in the school setting. School counselors are uniquely positioned to provide support to LGBTQ youth and work alongside building principals to create safe and welcoming school environments. To build on existing literature, this…

This dissertation takes an in-depth look at the unique experiences of five Florida State University study abroad alumni who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer after their experiences overseas. The purpose of this research was to understand if study abroad played a role in participants' sexual identity formation. To…

This qualitative research study explored current graduate students with disabilities personal and academic experiences. The three theoretical frameworks utilized were Disability Studies in Education (DSE), intersectionality and Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) to connect how race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability identities…

Colleges and universities are recognizing the deficient representation of minoritized faculty. In response to the growing number of minoritized students and the desire to provide a more diverse experience to all students in higher education, institutions have created many programs and initiatives to attract and hire a more diverse faculty (Wilson,…

Transgender/gender diverse students report experiences of feeling unsafe in school due to their gender identity and expression (Greytak, Kosciw, & Boesen, 2013). School support personnel (e.g., school psychologists, counselors, and social workers) are well positioned to collaborate with stakeholders to promote a safe and supportive environment…

In this study, I centered the experiences of individuals who identify as polyamorous or ethically non-monogamous. My purpose was to explore how polyamorous students at one institution made meaning of their polyamorous identity and how they described the relationship between the postsecondary environment and their meaning-making. The philosophical…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the unique sexual and religious identity development of sexual minorities who attend evangelical Christian institutions of higher education. Although research exists on sexual identity development and religious identity development, scant research exists as to how these developmental areas…

Social interaction among learners plays a significant role in online learning environments (Garrison, 2006; Kreijns et al., 2014; Mykota, 2017). The construct of social presence in online courses is important because it influences interaction and connectedness among learners and its effects on their learning outcomes and emotional well-being.…

This research examined the increased tendency towards suicidality in cisgender LGB college students as compared to their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. The responses of 1,503 LGB college students to a survey distributed by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education (RC) in 2011 were analyzed. Given the…

Discussions about sports continue to permeate the news and political realms and may prove to be a useful but underutilized tool to teach difficult subjects like race, gender, and sexuality. However, most scholarly work on sport focuses on a specific systemic inequality within a sport and/or how an issue affects sport and thus are sociological in…

As the education system turns its attention to climate, bullying, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) issues in the classroom, there is a focus on developing our student population abilities to be more accepting and tolerant of diversity. This study explored how ten students, aged 16-17, interacted with virtual literacy events on…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of collegiate experiences of non-heterosexual African American males (AAMs) on their retention and persistence. Eight non-heterosexual AAMs participated in interviews where they described their college experiences and their perceived impact on their retention and persistence.…

Adjustment to college has been demonstrated to be a multifaceted process with several developmental challenges for young adults entering higher education. As colleges and universities in the United States increase in racial and ethnocultural diversity and as LGBTQ students become more visible on campus, it has become crucial to cater support…