This study asked two primary questions: (1) to what extent do distance learners find value in student support services; and (2) is there a relationship between the value placed on student support services and students' sense of belonging in the university's learning community? Value was defined as the frequency of use, importance, and satisfaction…

Higher education has enrolled an increasing number of students in recent years through programs utilizing online delivery. This increase has occurred at both non-profit and for-profit institutions. Almost every department at every institution has some involvement with online education. A comparison of three quite different institutions, all…

European universities face great challenges dealing with twenty-first century world changes. Deep transformations are required to a wide range of life-long learning scenarios, which are replacing traditional modes of university study and giving access to students in more flexible ways. To address the transformation in learning, the European…

This paper draws on self-determination theory (SDT) to explore reasons for college students' decisions to either continue or change directions (and hence their persistence) from their STEM-intending majors. We therefore sought to gain insight into why some college students persisted in their STEM-intending degree programs while others, faced with…

This study focused on student retention trends in institutional spending and student retention rates. The research also investigated the relationship between student retention and the student-to-faculty ratio. The sample was comprised of 14 publicly funded higher education institutions that had an M1Carnegie classification and were located in one…

Language practices represent significant barriers to engagement in higher education for many learners from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. In Australia, such students may be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, students from rural and remote locations, learners who are the first in their family to access higher education,…

Higher education is deploying a range of innovative strategies in response to rising costs and financial challenges. This report presents findings from a NASPA [National Association of Student Personnel Administrators] study on cost-saving initiatives at three institutions. Each institution aimed to creatively address different areas affecting…

In this report, we spotlight a traditional path to overcoming inequality and move up the economic ladder in our country: higher education. UnidosUS hopes to draw attention to the experience of Latino students in college and highlight some troubling trends we see. The words of the students and parents are compelling and help to make visible to…

This case study aims to contribute some understanding as to why a research oriented university with many thousands of full-fee paying international students was believed not to provide adequate funds for international student support services. Drawing on Bourdieu's notions of fields of power and disciplinary hierarchy, we suggest that the…

This playbook contains resources that can be used by individual instructors to support putting student care into action or by institutions seeking guidance for incorporating caring for students into their campus strategy and instructional development programming. While the impetus for this playbook was the COVID-19 pandemic, the information and…

This study sought to describe the correlation of academic, financial, and social supports to the persistence of a military student population: veterans, active duty and their families. The study also contrasted these relationships with those of nonmilitary students and looked at the results of both groups together to determine how supports…

The aim of this study was to understand the way in which students experienced the support services offered by the University of Namibia's distance education unit--the Centre for External Studies. The study explored students' experiences and their perceptions of the administrative, social and academic support services provided by the University of…

The academic support system that is available online for distance students can prove quite beneficial to them before and especially during their course/programme of study. Potter posited that the goal of a programme's academic learner support services for distance learners must be to meet their needs by linking them with fellow students, faculty…

Helping more students achieve their dreams involves identifying a wider set of student needs--including financial challenges and family responsibilities--and offering redesigned support services to meet them holistically. This holistic student supports approach emphasizes the need for colleges to redefine the way they understand, design, integrate…

Aboriginal people face the lowest standard of living of any group in Canada due to the lasting and far-reaching effects of colonization and failed education. Without improved educational outcomes, in the form of increased Aboriginal retention rates, this situation will not improve. In order to accomplish this goal, post-secondary institutions need…