The purpose of this study was to identify the positive and challenging experiences of currently enrolled Pell Grant higher education students at one private, four-year postsecondary institution in Texas. The qualitative study used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a data collection approach to gain specific insight about Pell…

In the 1980s, leaders recognized a small set of institutions enrolled a large percentage of Latino students but had limited resources to educate these students. The classification of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) formally recognized these institutions for capacity-building and other support. Federal law defines HSIs as accredited,…

This exploratory, mixed-methods study investigated the relationship between information literacy and critical thinking. The research question guiding the first portion of the study was: How do information literacy and critical thinking relate in undergraduate students conducting academic research? Using two standardized assessments, the study…

Texas state grant aid programs provide significant support to many low- and moderate-income state residents pursuing postsecondary education. Only a small share of eligible students receives state grants, however, and students often cannot predict whether they will receive aid, especially if they apply to different types of institutions.…

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore how faculty at a private research university utilize the service-learning pedagogy to advance their scholarship of teaching and learning. Of specific interest was what influences them to utilize the service-learning pedagogy in their scholarship of teaching and learning, and…

Studying abroad is attractive for increasing numbers of Chinese students. The United States belongs among the favorite destinations for Chinese students seeking to obtain a university degree. In past years, China was the number one country of origin of all foreign students enrolled in U.S. tertiary education institutions. This study is aimed at…

As the college student population continues to grow, students are bringing various backgrounds to the higher education classroom. Students with learning disabilities are increasing in rapid numbers. In 2008, the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor approved, by a vote of 43 to 1, a bill that would update the Americans with Disabilities Act…

Living-learning communities combine curricular, co-curricular, and residential components of college life. They are a relatively new variation on the residential education that has been part of the undergraduate experience at America's independent colleges and universities for centuries. Research suggests that living-learning communities have a…

California has long been a national and global leader in developing and maintaining quality higher education options, as well as in providing financial aid and consumer protections for Californians who access that education. However, although California's colleges and the state government do collect, receive, and report a great deal of data, these…

Frequently overlooked in the discussion of whether there is or is not a higher education bubble are community colleges--despite the fact that this sector within public higher education represents 43 percent of first-time freshman and 44 percent of all undergraduates. For the most part, the "bubble" discussion has focused on whether the…

This State Profile from the Delta Cost Project presents data on key Delta metrics for public research, master's, bachelor's, and community college sectors in the state of Texas. The data are limited to a five-year period, showing data for the most recent year, and the five-year change.

To address the competition for students, the demand for increasing student enrollments and the pressure for student satisfaction, teaching effectiveness has become an increasingly common discussion on university campuses. The competition for students among universities requires a new approach to teaching. As university campuses continue to compete…

This article describes how a 26-panel altarpiece that once adorned a 15th-century Spanish cathedral inspired faculty members and students at Southern Methodist University to spend a semester dissecting the piece in a multidisciplinary course that featured songs, floats, videos, and painting. The course sprang out of a discussion Mark Roglan,…

As of 2007, over 20% of all higher education students in the U.S took at least one online course (Allen & Seaman, 2008), and over 200 universities offered some measure of online accounting courses (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008).This study compared the student learning outcomes of traditional and online delivery styles in…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…