Research evidence suggests that approaches to promote student success in higher education are becoming more holistic and integrated in nature. This implies that not only classrooms and laboratories, but also residences, as informal out-of-class learning environments, can potentially contribute significantly to promoting student success. The…

Live-in college residential life positions often involve extensive and diverse responsibilities including the support of residential students experiencing traumatic life events. While live-in staff undergo extensive training in regard to supporting these students, they are often ill-equipped to understand and prevent potential negative…

In this dissertation, I explored how residence life professionals are teaching social justice. Using critically informed qualitative methods, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 student affairs professionals who are responsible for ongoing social justice-oriented initiatives in residence life. I also analyzed documents associated with…

This study explored the racial bias perceptions of study abroad alumni following international learning experiences in East Africa. Ninety-seven participants, who completed a semester-long study abroad between Fall 2016-Spring 2019, were recruited into the study. Open-ended survey questions evaluated perceptions of racial bias, racial prejudice,…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of college and university campuses across the United States and abroad to contain the spread of the virus. While those closures affected everyone, students who lived alone, off-campus were especially impacted, as their access to opportunities for colligate social interaction and engagement, as well as face…

The purpose of this study was to explore sense of belonging across race and gender using Strayhorn's (2012) sense of belonging model as a conceptual framework to guide both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Survey data confirmed findings from previous literature concerning disparities between belongingness among…

Gender inclusive housing (GIH) is widely viewed as a best practice to include trans* students within collegiate residence halls. Because of this insistence that GIH is an inclusive strategy, GIH has become a national trend across universities. Yet, in spite of GIH's increasing popularity, there is a dearth in the literature on the effectiveness of…

Exemplifying the unwritten curriculum of working in higher education, LGBTQ+ professionals in housing and residence life do not receive a manual on what to anticipate in their professional roles regarding the consideration of their identities within a new institutional culture. Many professionals enter housing and residence life as their entry…

College affordability is a significant factor in student access, retention and completion. Tuition and fee rates are a major component of affordability, as is the availability of financial aid programs from federal, state, institutional and private sources. Strategically designed approaches to college affordability can better assist families in…

Research shows that the educational attainment of former foster youth is lower than youth who have not been in foster care. There are a relatively small number of foster alumni who beat the odds and attain a four-year degree (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2014; Casey Family Programs, 2010; Courtney et al., 2011; Pecora et al., 2003; Sarubbi,…

Though lauded as a best practice, gender-inclusive housing has engendered little empirical attention. This study explored the experience of genderinclusive housing from the perspective of trans* students. While they were overwhelmingly positive in their appreciation for the existence of this housing option, issues of access, training, and the…

A total of 295 first-year students were recruited from multiple campuses of a state-wide university system. Multiple-group path analysis compared parental and peer influences between two student subgroups. First-year students attending 4-year institutions reported higher rates of alcohol use and were more likely to experience alcohol-related…

There's been no shortage of suggestions for how to save the many small colleges that dot the landscape, especially in New England. Susan Dynarski, a well-respected professor who regularly comments insightfully on issues in higher education, suggested that perhaps the only places where COVID safety and education can coexist are rural small college…

Whilst most social and educational research on friendship focuses on children at school, it remains a crucially important factor for students in higher education -- and can play a key role in the maintenance, exacerbation or subversion of dominant forms of social inequalities. This paper explores the complexities of such dynamics in relation to…

International students experience cross-cultural difficulties as they seek to adapt to U.S. campuses. Past research has indicated that residence halls can have both positive and negative impacts on students' educational experiences. Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study explored the lived experiences of 13 international…