Most undocumented students have indicated they do not feel a sense of belonging on their respective campuses (Gonzales et al., 2013; Mangan, 2018; Munoz & Maldondo, 2012; Perez Huber, 2009; Perez Huber & Malagon, 2007; Suarez-Orozco et al., 2015). However, with the passage of DACA, universities have seen an increase in undocumented…

Academic advising has been identified as a key strategy in helping students to persist and complete their academic goals. This exploratory case study investigated student perceptions of advising, particularly low-income and first-generation students participating in a TRIO Student Support Services program at a midsize midwestern community college.…

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), including Computer Science (CS) are fields that are in great demand globally. This study's purpose was to explore the nature of the educational pathways, critical factors and commonalities/differences leading to CS undergraduate enrollment through the male and female perspectives focusing on…

Research shows that first-generation college students are less likely to be retained from their first to second year, and struggle with sense of belonging, comfort with faculty, and the establishment of a positive first-generation student identity. This qualitative case study evaluated the effects of a residential living learning community with a…

College retention is a primary focus within many institutions of higher education; however, retention efforts have largely been unsuccessful in impacting first-year completion rates and eventual degree attainment. Drawing on research that demonstrates the value of a strong faculty-student relationship and an engaging classroom environment, this…

The 2020 U.S. census revealed that Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations are among the fastest growing in the nation, with 24 million Asian American and 1.6 million NHPI residents. Despite a long history of anti-Asian sentiment and racism in the U.S., Asian American and NHPI students have been harmfully…

Pre-university bridging programs can address the significant under-representation of Indigenous students in Australian universities by providing culturally supported alternative pathways into undergraduate study. However, successful completion of bridging programs does not always correlate with university enrolment for Indigenous students. This…

With the vast increase of English learner populations enrolled in schools across the United States, there has been significant attention being placed on educational practices to best serve the needs of EL students. This awareness has been due to the widening proficiency gap between EL students compared to their native English-speaking peers.…

The purpose of this study is to understand how students with historically marginalized identities are developed through their experiences serving on the executive board of departmentally advised student organizations. With marginality and power, forms of resistance, and high impact engagement literature together serving as a framework, this also…

Attrition rates at international schools are often high, requiring annual rounds of new teacher hiring. Although many of the teachers possess prior experience, they require personal and professional supports to be ready for the new teaching assignments and to adjust to unfamiliar settings. In a qualitative study at the Thai-Chinese International…

This study sought to understand how underrepresented racially minoritized and first-generation college students experienced and made sense of the challenges from taking introductory sciences courses in their first year at a small liberal arts college. Metacognition was the theoretical framework in consideration due to its non-disciplinarity and…

Despite the increase in enrollment of first-generation college students at four-year institutions, this student population was more than twice as likely to drop out before their sophomore year compared to their non-first-generation peers. Specifically, a subgroup of first-generation college students that has been identified as greatly…

The purpose of this study is to explore Native American identity through student interactions at a university Native American student center. Two theories guide this research: the peoplehood sense of belonging and Indigenous identity. This study explores how Native American students engage with their peers who are from similar and different…

This mixed model study used student surveys (N = 153) and interviews (N = 16) from undergraduate students enrolled in 10 sections of a Student Success Course at a large Midwestern research institution to investigate relationships between students' perceptions of instructor messages about student success and their sense of belonging in college and…

To capture the essence of the sense of belonging for first-generation students (FGS) within an academic unit of study in higher education, this qualitative inquiry used portraiture to provide answers to four research questions. Q1: How do FGS make meaning of belongingness in an academic unit? Q2: How do FGS describe the academic unit's climate…