The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sense of belonging. The research questions were as follows: (1) What role do friendships have on students' sense of belonging? and (2) How has students' sense of belonging changed since COVID related restrictions have been lifted? A pilot study was conducted in Fall…

This research study proposes to examine the cultural intelligence of international student support staff, which in turn serves as an indicator for international student engagement and the acculturation outcomes of international students on university campuses in the state of Louisiana. In this study, the major theoretical construct, student…

Despite significant cultural attention on the phenomenon of school shootings, one of the most predictive dimensions of these tragedies is under-analyzed: gender. Men commit 98% of mass shootings, but robust discussion and research on this relationship is lacking. This dissertation investigates the relationship between masculinity and gun violence…

Freshman seminar courses aim to address dropout rates, college achievement, increase persistence rates, and student adjustment in approximately 94% of colleges and universities in America. First-generation college students make up nearly a third of higher education students and are likelier to drop out of college within the first 2-years of…

This study explores how aesthetic decisions influence community college presidents. Aesthetic choices communicate powerful messages (McArdle-Clinton, 2008). These messages influence a campus community, affecting access, cost, decision, and equity (Bouillard & Deslandes, 2015; Connor & Schrecker, 2010; Fairclough, 1995; James, 2013). These…

This dissertation explores the use of place-based pedagogy as a tool for teaching for transfer in a college composition class in West Virginia. Although existing composition scholarship indicates that themed classes (such as a place-based class) are unlikely to facilitate transfer among the students, this is mostly due to instructors of themed…

Health service psychology (HSP) students are at a high risk of burnout and physical and mental health problems (El-Ghoroury et al., 2011; Rummell, 2015). Research has begun to explore environmental factors within training programs that cause or prevent burnout (e.g., Kovach Clark et al., 2009; Swords & Ellis, 2017). Using the Job…

One of the most challenging times for campus communities is when a crisis occurs. It often causes higher education to question their policies, missions, and values. Additionally, the crisis managers and those affected by it may experience trauma as they navigate the crisis (Bataille & Cordova, 2014; Lynch 2023). Despite the research on crisis…

First-generation college students are a prominent higher education student population and are well-represented at the community college. Unfortunately, many first-generation community college students do not persist for degree completion. These students face many academic and social challenges that impact their persistence. However, research has…

Resident assistants (RA) receive training in multiple areas through curricular and/or co-curricular programs. Although co-curricular programs support leadership education, research has shown that student leaders better understand leadership theories and practices through an academic course (Sessa et al., 2014). The need for first-year RAs to learn…

The student population of American colleges and universities is becoming increasingly diverse. Though the racial and ethnic makeup of a campus population has been given the most attention in diversity and inclusion efforts, there has been a growing focus on LGBTQ issues in recent decades. As a result, institutions of higher learning have been…

This dissertation answers the following research question: How does Christian hegemony influence sense of belonging for students of minoritized religions on a college campus? Institutions of higher education claim to be secular and inclusive spaces for their students (Jacobsen & Jacobsen, 2012; Joshi, 2020; Jun et al., 2018; Lang &…

About 1.1 million international students came to the United States in the 2019-2020 school year to study at institutions of higher education (Israel and Batalova 2021). Little has been written about the qualities that make a host national student or group of students welcoming to international students. Chi Alpha Campus Ministries is a network of…

In the 22nd Century of the United States, student veterans' enrollment numbers have been increasing among higher education institutions. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore student veterans' experiences with the support services they have used and to identify which characteristics of support services student veterans find…

This narrative study explored the relationship of coaches and Black male student-athletes seeking to understand the stories of Black male student-athletes, their relationship with their coaches, and the role of the coaches in their academic, athletic, and social identity development. Using narrative techniques, the author worked with three…