The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what impact, if any, a spiritually-focused Living-Learning Community (LLC) had on the spiritual development of 16 student participants at a small, faith-based college. LLCs are considered a high impact practice (HIP) because they promote a high level of student engagement (Kuh, 2008). College in…

The purpose of this study was to gain essence of understanding of the phenomena of the influence of culture on the change process at small, private colleges. Research questions included cultural characteristics of a campus, the impact of policy and procedure on shaping culture, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and contextual conditions…

This study evaluated the impact of a First-Year Experience (FYE) program on student success at a small, private, faith-based distance learning university serving a predominantly nontraditional student population. Student data (N = 399) from two groups were compared to determine if the FYE made a difference in student success as measured by…

Two years ago, Community College Research Center (CCRC) published a guide to help college leaders understand the costs involved in implementing guided pathways reforms. The guide was based on research at six community colleges, but only one of these was a smaller college. Small colleges lack economies of scale that can generate revenue to support…

It looks like the fate of many small colleges is closure, "merger" (meaning effectively being swallowed up by a stronger institution) or even-subject to regulatory complexities-acquisition. That is not good news for the colleges, their staff, students, alumni, surrounding communities-nor for the higher education sector as a whole.…

Leah Schweitzer is the director of a de-centered writing center. A de-centered writing center is very much what it sounds like: quite literally, it has no actual location, no one space on campus that anyone can point to and say, "that's the writing center." It was an idea born out of necessity, but it's one that poses a challenge and an…

A participatory framework in conducting research and implementing decisions can engage multiple constituents throughout a college community. At a small college, it is especially relevant, because nonmajority groups are especially vulnerable because of a smaller critical mass.

Strong relationships with senior administrators, effective cross-campus collaboration, and efficient use of technology are central to impactful IR in small colleges.

The higher education industry uses the very latest technologies to effectively prepare students for their careers, but these technologies often contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited via their connection to the Internet. The complex task of securing information and computing systems is made more difficult at institutions of higher education…

This report explores the financial resilience of independent colleges and universities through an analysis of 14 years (fiscal years 2001-2014) of financial data from 559 private nondoctoral institutions. Through analysis of financial performance in several domains, the data reveal that the majority of independent baccalaureate and master's-level…

This study examined the relative contributions of peer teasing, relational aggression, and body image disturbance on subclinical maladaptive eating patterns among female college students. One hundred and two female college students completed self-report online surveys on peer teasing, relational aggression, body image disturbance, and eating…

Male survivors of sexual assault face increased mental health concerns due to commonly held beliefs and lack of quality services. College and university administrators, under guidance provided by the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Education, must respond to all incidents of sexual misconduct, no matter the gender identity of the…

The importance of change to any organization is essential to growth, and it is the responsibility of leadership to explain both why change is required and how the change will take place to the organizational culture. Leaders should always be available and should seek out those essential methods of communication with the culture around them in…

Statistics for teacher evaluations in seated and online classes show a glaring difference in both quantitative and qualitative scores. The generalized analysis of the quantitative and qualitative elements of the same course, instructor, assignment as grouped by learning environment provide an opportunity to inform future practice. In this…

Universities around the world are internationalizing themselves at a higher pace than even seen before. Faculty support is recognized as critical for the success of the internationalization mission. However, faculty motivation and commitment are often taken for granted; administrators direct most of their attention to tackling partnership issues…