Many factors revolve around scholarly writing, especially in an RN to BSN program. Many nursing leaders have reported scholarly writing as an area students struggle with during their academic careers. Online writing orientations can help aid in this dilemma, yet few universities are currently using this option. There is little research to support…

Generally, the academic disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) is viewed as a gender-specific field of study, dominated primarily by white males. Similarly, women, immigrant minorities, people of color, and Hispanics have been underrepresented in these fields. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

Community colleges serve as access points to bachelor's degree attainment for a growing number of students, particularly those who live in rural areas. Although increasing the number of people trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains a national need, and a bachelor's degree in these fields offers a higher…

Anecdotally, exercise science has experienced substantial growth in the past 20 years. Limited descriptions of this growth exist. In the current report, the author describes the number of exercise science bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees awarded in the United States from 2002-03 to 2016-17. Data were retrieved from the National Center…

Guided by the STEM pathway model, our study hypothesizes that dual enrollment can serve as an effective strategy to improve and equalize college students' access to STEM programs. We analyzed a nationally representative dataset to disaggregate the influence of dual enrollment course-taking (i.e. participation, dual credits in Math/Science, number…

This dissertation uses an anti-deficit perspective to explore the academic experiences of Black men who have completed their bachelor's degrees at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Despite the reality that only 34% of Black men achieve their undergraduate degrees within six years, this study shifts the narrative from focusing on obstacles…

In Chapter 1 I investigate the supply of college majors and how this facet of institutional behavior influences student outcomes and costs in higher education. As a first contribution, I identify a decades-long trend in 4-year postsecondary education in the United States--the production of bachelor's degrees measured by their concentration across…

The unprecedented growth in the use of AI and its related technologies will put a tremendous stress on US institutions to produce the required number of technologically prepared workers to fill critically important job openings. In the US, low-income and URM students participate less vigorously in STEM-related fields; the problem is even more…

This paper addresses the need for a more comprehensive framework of excellence in higher education, which goes beyond academic achievement alone, placing emphasis on its integration with personal characteristics, and acknowledging the diversity in the student population. Two research studies were conducted to establish this comprehensive…

Engineering accreditation bodies express a strong consensus that in addition to technical and scientific skills, engineering education also needs to promote the development of professional skills. In general, team-based projects are considered to be valuable approaches to develop such skills and have been extensively added to engineering…

This study aimed to investigate how international students enrolled on medical and surgical bachelor's degree programs (MBBS) in China perceived online medical education course, compared to native Chinese students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The perceptions of 38 MBBS and 31 Chinese sophomores were surveyed using the Chaoxing platform. The…

This Data Point examines postsecondary students' persistence and attainment rates using data from the 2006 and 2014 administrations of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Studies (BPS:04/06 and BPS:12/14). These studies are follow-ups to the 2003-04 and 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies and track the paths of…

The long-recognized disconnect between research and practice is reflected by social work students who often report significant apprehension about their research classes, likely at least in part because of a poor understanding of the research-practice interface and an unfamiliarity with larger professional social change initiatives like the Grand…

Student attrition is an area of constant concern for higher education managers and policymakers alike, yet little is known of the outcomes of those who depart higher education prematurely. We examine the educational and financial outcomes of students who start, but do not complete, a Bachelor-level course using data from the Australian Bureau of…

This report presents academic year 2018 through 2021 degrees awarded and top-ten degrees at Mississippi institutes of higher education, along with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees awarded and top-ten degrees, and August 2021 academic program summary for Mississippi. The following institutes of higher education are…