The number of adult graduate students continues to increase in America's higher education institutions. The needs of the adult learner are diverse, and it is a challenge to institutions to meet the needs of this increasing student population. Institutions have responded by offering programs of study both on campus and expanded program offerings at…

The theory of student involvement (Astin, 1984) acknowledges that as students devote time and energy to educationally purposeful activities, they can expect to make cognitive and affective gains throughout the college years. Participation in clubs and organizations is one form of involvement associated with a host of learning and developmental…

A take-home experiment kit has been developed to reinforce the concepts in a first year physics course that both on and off campus students from a variety of educational backgrounds can successfully use. The kit is inexpensive and is composed of easy to obtain items. The experiments conducted with the kit are directed experiments that require…

For colleges eager to attract the best students, the quality of student housing is a key selling point. That shouldn't mean putting a Jacuzzi in every dorm, warns Susan Painter, a design psychologist. Painter, who holds a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology, uses her knowledge of human behavior to advise colleges on building design. Give students too…

This article presents an overview of some issues that were confronted when delivering an online second Linear Algebra course (assuming a previous Introductory Linear Algebra course) to graduate students enrolled in a Secondary Mathematics Education program. The focus is on performance in one particular aspect of the course: "change of basis" and…

Objectives: To examine relationships between gender, ethnicity, and residency, with factors influencing weight gain in 756 multiethnic college freshmen. Methods: An online survey obtained participants' height and weight; consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meals; dieting and exercise patterns. Results: Ten percent of Asians were…

The calculus-based, introductory physics course is the port of entry for any student interested in pursuing a college degree in the sciences, mathematics, or engineering. There is increasing demand for online delivery options that make the course more widely available, especially those that use best practices in student engagement. However,…

In this paper I compare the performance of online versus traditional on-campus students on identical exams in an earth science class. The number of college level distance learning classes offered online continues to increase as they offer greater scheduling flexibility to students, they appeal to students who like to work independently, and allow…

This case study used a revision of Tinto's theory of student departure and self-efficacy as frameworks, to explore the experiences of seven students of color who transferred to a small, private, and predominately White residential institution in the rural Midwest. All of the participants in this study faced challenges socially integrating…

With the increase in the number of online graduate programs available and economic considerations, small, rural universities have to be concerned about a possible decline in their on-campus enrollment. This study examines those factors that effect students' decisions to take on-campus classes that can impact recruitment of on-campus students.…

Background: Social norms posters usually contain a normative message, branding, campaign tagline and sponsoring coalition/contact information. There are limited data on which campaign components promote recognition of Campus Alcohol Coalitions (CAC). Purpose: To determine the most effective media channels/incentives to promote recognition of CAC…

Many rural community colleges have long provided on-campus housing. This article profiles the availability of housing at rural community colleges in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006, examines the factors that will continue to make on-campus housing an important service at rural institutions, and draws on 2005-2006 data from the Institutional…

This article examines the relationship between online social networking (OSN) and perceptions of academic and social integration for first-year residential students at a rural regional comprehensive university. Students spent an average of 2.5 hours on OSN websites per day, primarily interacting with campus peers, friends and family. There was…

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory case study that investigated factors affecting the retention and progression of postgraduate business students at a major Australian distance education university. The majority of prior research addressing student retention focuses on undergraduate on-campus students, while this research…

The Commission adopted two affordability reports in 2008. One report examined costs for students at a four-year public university who live on campus. The other examined costs for students living in their parent's home while studying at a community college. Costs were compared to trends in family income over the past 30 years. The resulting report…