This study explored how mid-level student affairs professionals professionally socialized to their work roles in order to understand how this socialization process contributed to the exchange of institutional values, norms, and customs within the work place at two small liberal arts colleges. This study is structured around three questions: 1) how…

This phenomenological study highlighted the perceptions of college faculty toward the increasing number of student-athletes on their college campuses. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into the beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of college faculty toward the athletic driven enrollment strategy at small liberal arts colleges. The…

This concluding chapter discusses the main challenges currently facing institutional research at small- and medium-sized colleges and describes how the field may evolve.

All signs indicate that high school graduation rates will continue to drop due to low birth rates, leading to a potential higher education meltdown that is likely to affect all academic institutions, big and small, in the years after 2024. Higher education is facing a new and potentially grave obstacle. For several decades, there have been plenty…

The purpose of this study was to compare student achievement and satisfaction in online versus traditional introductory statistics courses. The sample studied were undergraduates at a small liberal arts school enrolled in introductory statistics over a period of six semesters. There were a few significant findings in student achievement in the…

The percentage of full-time college students decreased by 7% in the United States between 2010 and 2018. Modern university leaders confront difficult decisions regarding their institutions' future because of financial challenges related to reduced tuition revenue. Grounded in the theory of diffusion of innovations and the balanced scorecard, the…

An interdisciplinary liberal arts program can prompt innovative ideas and self-discovery when fired in a kiln of social and economic justice fueled by high-impact practices. Developing learning communities, internships, group projects, local-to-global learning, community-based service learning, and capstone projects can enhance education and…

Resident Assistants (RA) are unique positions within a university. Undergraduate students are selected to enforce policy, complete administrative paperwork, and develop community in on-campus housing. Despite the critical role these students play in the advancement of university programs and retention, there is a gap in research regarding what…

Development and implementation of promise scholarship programs has risen over the last 15 years, yet research into their effects on the higher education landscape has been relatively scarce. While researchers have mostly examined how these programs impact students and communities, they have neglected to study how promise programs impact…

This research explored the relationship between total-trait emotional intelligence and academic stress among college students at a small, private college. Student total-trait emotional intelligence (TTEI) and university stress scores were significantly correlated. Measures of TTEI and USS are useful for student intervention to impact issues such…

This chapter examines the impact of declining student response rates on surveys administered at small- and medium-sized institutions. The potential for nonresponse bias and its effects are addressed.

Using an assessment cycle as an organizing framework, this article illustrates how educational development and assessment mutually complement each other. It describes an assessment study conducted to determine if two colleges at a small university met their strategic goals to increase the adoption of learning-centered teaching. This study served…

This chapter examines the current state of college unions at small colleges and offers a forecast of their future.

Gateway testing is an important pedagogic tool employed by many university mathematics departments in calculus and precalculus courses. With a goal of ensuring that students attain needed basic skills in courses with a conceptual "reform" orientation, these tests provide an efficient means of assessing a large volume of student work,…

Participants were 318 college students from two small, Catholic liberal arts institutions in the Upper Midwest. Variation (i.e., having friends with varied interests and activities) of an individual's social network was measured by a researcher-developed inventory, the Social Network Variation Scale (SNVS). Social network strength was measured by…