Peer socialization agents (PSAs; e.g., resident assistants, orientation leaders) are trained to facilitate belonging through formal socialization initiatives. We used secondary qualitative data analysis, in combination with a critical constructivist approach, to explore PSAs' sense of belonging and the contexts in which they experience it through…

Within OECD countries, 20% of university students continue no further than the first year. The objective of this research is to analyse the antecedents of student commitment, so as to design action plans for reducing dropout rates within higher education. Educational engagement, student--university identification and perception of performance were…

In order to guide educators step-by-step through an orientation process for an online team-based learning (TBL) course, this chapter describes principles for creating an orientation module for an online higher education course that employs online delivery following both standards from the Quality Matters Rubric for Higher Education and essential…

In the last few decades, the push for a more diverse student population has become commonplace across college campuses in the United States. With the demands of growing a more diverse student population, institutions have made widespread changes in policy over the years (Gist-Mackey, Wiley, & Erba, 2017). This dissertation examines the…

Student veterans may encounter educational barriers that can impact transitions to college. This research focused on veteran transitions to college during onboarding. Onboarding is beneficial in a higher education setting and, when properly deployed, can help ease transitions. This study involved the development, implementation, and assessment of…

Purpose: Peer mentoring programs in higher education settings support incoming students in their transition and adaptation to college life. Mentoring program evaluation research primarily focuses on student outcomes and documents mentoring relationship quality (MRQ) as an important component of programs that facilitate change. The current study…

Expectations of campus safety and security are inherent in the development of policies internal to the campus environment as well as to national regulations inclusive of Title IX, the Clery Act, and so forth. Yet, there seems to be an ongoing concern that international students may have heightened risk or are less likely to report violations of…

Background: The short-term impacts of outdoor orientation programs (OOPs) have been documented in the literature for close to 40 years. While there is a fair amount of research examining the immediate effects of OOPs, there are relatively few studies exploring long-term impacts. Purpose: This study examined the important longitudinal "lessons…

Many introductory students face challenges adjusting to new geographic, social, and cultural contexts involved in their course of study, yet the extent of a student's integration and "sense of place" in an academic environment is associated with their performance and persistence toward related goals. This case study describes a…

Many urban public schools are often perceived as inclusive due to the demographics of their diverse student populations. This myth of inclusivity reifies notions of equity in both education and broader society. However, upon closer inspection, this myth of inclusion crumbles once immersed within an urban high school. In this article, I present the…