The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight on the nontraditional pathways to a college presidency. Specifically, this inquiry explored the career trajectory of college presidents with experience as a former chief student affairs officer (CSAO). The population of the study was comprised of 12 presidents from a myriad of four-year…

Women make up a majority of those employed in higher education, yet they are still a minority in leadership positions. Completing a doctoral degree, relocating for career advancement, and working in demanding, high time commitment roles are typically required to achieve the chief student affairs officer (CSAO) position, as well as contributors to…

There is limited research that identifies the university, familial and community factors that support the persistence of Latinas in higher education from the first to second year. The research that does exist has tended to focus on how institutional programs and activities have failed to work for first-generation students. Therefore, there is a…

This multiple institution case study examines the nature and scope of market(like) behaviors carried out within three student affairs organizations situated in distinct higher education institutional types: a public research university, a public master's university, and a small, private liberal arts residential college. Data was collected via the…

The primary purpose of this case study was to determine if the university under study had adequate health-related programs, services, and supports in place to develop health-literate young adults. A secondary purpose was to identify strengths and gaps in these university health-related programs, services, and supports, which, if addressed, could…

The purpose of this research was to explore the interactions between senior-level student affairs administrators and the parents of traditional-age undergraduate students. Student development theory had little to say about a role for the parents of college students, yet senior-level student affairs administrators who participated in this study…

Enrollment management is an institutional function that has enjoyed burgeoning attention since the 1970s. The primary function of enrollment management is to control the size and composition of students within an institution. As the number of higher education institutions increased and as the number of high school graduates stagnated--particularly…

Portfolios are widely required in teacher education programs. One of the rationales often given for their use is their value in the employment process. The issue addressed in this study--the use of portfolios for employment--is separate from the issue of whether portfolios are useful for teacher credentialing or within a teacher education program…

The main research question of this study was: How do student life offices at four diverse Catholic colleges and universities create an environment that is expressive of a Catholic way of life? This research question was operationalized by two research sub questions: How do senior student affairs officers, mid-level student affairs officers, and…

Retention of minority students continues to be a problem for many institutions of higher education. Despite increasing enrollments of minority students in higher education, there are still disparities between completion rates of non-minorities and completion rates of minorities. The disparities are perhaps more evident in low retention rates of…

Native American students find sources of strength in their families, communities, and culture. This article reviews the experiences of 26 Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) college graduates who lived in residence halls while enrolled in college. These students obtained college educations while remaining culturally centered by going home often, some said…

This study examined the experiences of six female middle managers in student affairs who, while otherwise qualified with experience and an earned doctorate, turned down the opportunity to serve as vice president of student affairs. In-depth purposeful interviews were conducted with each participant, using naturalistic qualitative research methods…

This study analyzed data gathered from interviews with professionals at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to examine the nature of relationships student affairs administrators form with students. The data were interpreted through the guardianship conceptual framework found in African American feminist literature. Results reveal…

According to Lundeberg, Fox, and Punccohar (1994), the reason that there are fewer women in certain professions is because of a lack of self-confidence. In a review of the literature, they found studies reporting a lack of self-confidence in sixth-grade girls, high school students, and women in undergraduate and graduate school. In her work on…

College completion remains one of the most compelling and vexing policy issues in higher education today. Although access to higher education has increased substantially over the past three decades, student success in college as measured by degree completion has not improved significantly. There is a great disparity in the percentage of low-income…