Regional Comprehensive Universities (RCUs) are public institutions established to facilitate access, student-centeredness, and regional wellbeing, which has led scholars to call them the "people's universities." This study examined the histories of RCUs between 1970 and 2000, using qualitative inquiry and narrative analysis of data from…

State funding for public higher education institutions is crucial in supporting college access and completion, particularly among students from historically under-represented groups, yet little is known about the mechanisms that states use to allocate funds and how they are affected by financial challenges. This article provides the first detailed…

This qualitative study is an examination of how 20 tenure-seeking Women of Color and White women academics at a public research-intensive university define collegiality and its perceived role in rank advancement. By engaging culture of hegemonic collegiality, we identified two salient themes: (a) collegiality is defined through weapon and survival…

Using discrete-time hazard models, this exploratory study responds to the need for research on student veterans. Factors predicting persistence and graduation at a public university in Texas, serving a large student veteran population in the state, are examined; student veteran transfers' outcomes are compared to those of non-veteran transfer…

While public colleges and universities have a long history of engaging in the political process, relatively little is known about their activities. This study attempts to examine, both theoretically and empirically, the relationship between state economic, demographic, political, and policy contexts and state public higher education interest group…

This study investigates the relationship between state appropriations and master's degree (MA) enrollment at public master's universities from 1992-93 to 2014-15. Two competing theoretical perspectives emerge. Resource dependence theory argues that public universities have a financial incentive to grow MA enrollment following declines in state…

Many critics consider public institution presidents' compensation to be excessive, while others argue the money yields a return on investment in private fundraising and state appropriations. Our study asks whether presidential compensation at public, four-year institutions is associated with increased institutional revenue from state…

Amidst public calls for greater internationalization, universities are marketing to international students. We explore how universities in regional hubs (Lee & Schoole, 2015) enact "dramaturgical performances" (Goffman, 1959), presenting images of themselves in geopolitical space. We find: (1) bifurcated marketing strategies to…

The current mixed-method study examined the emotions experienced by pretenure faculty regarding teaching and research, specifically their emotion frequency, antecedents, and relationships with perceived success. Interviews with 11 faculty identified 46 discrete emotions with the most common being enjoyment, frustration, excitement, happiness, and…

A growing number of postsecondary institutions in the United States have removed standardized testing as a requirement for admission. Researchers, however, have suggested that these "test-optional" policies may not benefit underrepresented populations as intended, but instead serve as an additional revenue source for the institution. In…

This study explores how organizational identity is linked with organizational behavior and change at U.S. colleges and universities. Using IPEDS data from 914 public and private not-for-profit four-year institutions, this study analyzes how institutions' identity claims through their self-identified comparison groups are associated with Carnegie…

Many higher education scholars, policy makers, and practitioners continue to ignore the intersections of race and gender when focusing on campus sexual assault (CSA) for the undergraduate student population. This race-evasive approach contributes to incomplete and inaccurate understandings about the ways Women of Color students experience CSA.…

Study of four-year broad access institutions (BAIs) is important given their influence on postsecondary educational opportunities and the continued importance of the bachelor's degree in earnings premiums and critical social and civic outcomes. Descriptive results add to current understanding regarding heterogeneity of four-year BAIs by…

Evidence of inefficient course-taking patterns at community colleges has spurred policy conversations about how to ensure effective course sequences. Structural reforms, like guided pathways, seek to reduce major switching as a means to streamline student course taking and eliminate unnecessary credits. By placing students into broad fields of…

This study examines tensions between universalist ideology and racial/ethnic inequalities in STEM education. Using data collected from qualitative interviews with STEM diversity administrators at 10 research-intensive, public universities, the study considers programmatic goals through an interest-convergence framework. Emerging patterns reveal…