Current policies and interventions to enhance student success and retention are often tied to full-time enrollment, which are substantiated by studies associating part-time enrollment with lower retention and poorer academic outcomes. However, these findings are limited to studies of first-time college students and do not represent today’s nontraditional undergraduate who may be transfer, online, and

College students with foster care backgrounds have demonstrably lower graduation rates than peers, and resources obtained through their social networks are vital to their college success. Our study explores the social networks and social capital among a sample of first-year college students with foster care histories who were participating in a campus-based support program (CSP) at a Midwestern university

Rapid advances in the quality and accessibility of immersive virtual reality (IVR) have brought about intense interest in applications of the technology within higher education, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teaching and learning. However, evidence is mixed on the effectiveness of IVR for STEM teaching and learning, and there are currently few models of how best to

Despite the broad scope of literature on the topic of women in STEM, women in male-dominated spaces within academia are rarely given the opportunity to speak openly about their disadvantages in the toxic STEM culture. The current study implements a Critical Utopian Action Research method, Future Creating Workshop (FCW), with undergraduate women in STEM in order to highlight women’s voices in the context

Increasingly, Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs) are being designed and built by higher education institutions to support instructors in adopting and implementing active learning pedagogies. In this study, we explore how instructors perceive changes in their teaching after teaching in ALCs. Our study focuses on the perceptions of faculty members who have completed a year-long professional development

Although it seems reasonable to assume that start-up packages are important for faculty success, the contribution of start-up packages to faculty professional development is understudied. The aim of this study was to explore how the number of benefits obtained in start-up package agreements (number of benefits), faculty satisfaction with the start-up packages (faculty satisfaction), and faculty perception

This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic department chairs. Through a survey of 172 department chairs in the United States, the central findings of this research—intensified challenges, a multidirectional leadership pivot, and competing perceptions of higher education reinvention—reinforce the liminality of the academic chairperson role, highlight the need for increased

In this study, the high school and college GPAs of college students who were screened as twice-exceptional were compared to college students screened as gifted and average college students. From a sample of 32,741 college students, those screened as gifted earned significantly higher means than students screened as twice-exceptional (2e) and the general college population on both high school and college

Overall trends of academic staffing in the US have indicated declines in tenure, increased use of contingent faculty, and stratification of teaching and research efforts. However, little is known about academic staffing patterns in professional programs, and little research has been done using program-level data. The purposes of this study were to identify faculty staffing patterns, determine if patterns

Efforts to diversify and make historically white organizations more inclusive are as varied as they are numerous. Yet, for all their ubiquity in U.S. higher education, few studies have examined them in real time. This case study thus features a two-day meeting where stakeholders were invited to consider how to make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields not only more diverse but also

This study explores a case of coaching deployed in experiential, interdisciplinary, and project-based courses. This study follows coaching in two courses that operated on a high-impact practice framework. In these courses, coaching was experienced by both students and faculty as a critical feature of the success of the courses. Students showed that coaching impacted their sense of the gravity of course

Organizational change is a complex and critical issue in higher education today. Changes experienced across institutional systems have both short-term and long-term impact, making this phenomenon ripe for educational leadership research. Many universities and colleges have applied Kotter’s (1995) eight-step change model prescriptively to implement academic initiatives, curriculum revisions, and strategic

Sketchnoting is a design methodology that involves communicating concepts visually. This active learning tool has shown potential for influencing student learning but its applications have been limited. Adopting the principles of research related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and employing Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning, our interdisciplinary team from industrial design

This mixed method study investigated design thinking (DT) practices and outcomes from across disciplinary frameworks within one institution of higher education. Building upon prior DT studies, it examined three interlocking research questions: What DT practices are being implemented across the curriculum? What kinds of outcomes do faculty observe? What are the significant relationships between particular

Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been identified as successful models of innovation in higher education institutional change efforts, particularly geared toward faculty. Accordingly, this multi-method qualitative study examined how participation in one equity-minded CoP contributed to participants’ understanding and mobilization of equity in their work at a public university in the Northeast United

We analyze innovation in university strategic plans to assess whether innovation is a stated priority, to what end innovation is sought, and whether innovation is a comprehensive strategy or more carefully bounded, excluding innovation opportunities. Our analysis utilized Atlas.ti software to quantify word usage and to extract and classify sentences that state innovation intentions. Innovation, entrepreneurship

Traditional approaches to teaching and learning in large undergraduate STEM lectures has not kept pace with the massification and diversification of higher education. Efforts to alleviate learning obstacles call for improved instruction, stipulating the utility of specific pedagogical techniques delineated as “promising practices”; however, little evidence supports their effectiveness. In this study

Reflection is fundamental in experiential pedagogies, and many studies have been carried out to investigate its impact and benefits on student learning outcomes. However, the concept of reflection is not well understood. In this study, we focus on the concept of reflection and ensuing approaches to it in service-learning, an experiential pedagogy that has been hailed as a high-impact practice in higher

Universities across the U.S. have increasingly emphasized internationalization, leading to rising numbers of international students attending U.S. institutions of higher education. However, these students tend to gravitate toward larger research-intensive universities with many other institutions seeing no increase in international student enrollments. Little is known concerning how to attract international

Academic coaching is an increasingly prevalent form of student support in higher education, although empirical research on the intervention is relatively limited (Robinson, 2015). Academic coaching is intended to advance student learning, well-being, and success in a context external but complementary to the classroom (Richman, Rademacher, & Maitland, 2014; Robinson, 2015). This exploratory study used

This paper presents an overall educational philosophy of working with students underprepared for college-level work, which we term “a pedagogy of preparation.” We consider how instructors scaffolded instruction to foster college readiness in students who were now able to enroll in college-level work regardless of academic preparation after state-level legislation (SB 1720) that dramatically altered

Research shows that a lack of peer study support, particularly a lack of friends in the major, is linked to students switching majors. Furthermore, strong relationships with faculty have a significant influence on students’ decisions to persist in the major. However, it is unclear how the creation of an environment that fosters student research and professional development can improve these aspects

Providing students with timely, targeted, and useful feedback regarding their understanding of course topics is generally accepted as a good educational practice. However, when classes are very large there are challenges that prevent many instructors from accomplishing this goal. This study explores the perceived helpfulness to students and the instructor of implementing a relatively new method of

This study examined the relationship between student-faculty interaction in college and students’ fourth-year career attitudes toward professional success. Results suggest that some interactions with faculty, such as frequency of student-faculty interaction, are positively associated with students’ fourth-year career attitudes toward professional success. Other interactions, such as personal discussions

This study presents data from an online course on Latinx Students in Higher Education taught at a Predominantly White Institution in the Midwest. This case study examines how students engage with content on Latinx issues across the P-20 educational pipeline to better understand and ultimately serve this population in their professional context using perspectives on allyship development and racial justice

Students may have experiences that relate to long-term retention and success during the summer after completing their first year in college. Research shows that college students’ engagement and success varies based on their cultural and social capital. However, there is a dearth of research on how their cultural and social capital is associated with college students’ summer experiences after they complete

Student-faculty (S-F) interactions that are conducive to students’ learning can help reduce the retention and graduation gaps in higher education, especially for college students from underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds. The aim of the study was to explore students’ perceptions of their interactions with faculty, and the subjective impact of these interactions on students’ academic and

The underrepresentation of women faculty in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) remains a persistent feature of academia, with turnover being a contributing factor. The departmental context is likely implicated in the decision to stay or leave, as it is one of the key defining features of faculty members’ work experiences. Using the job-demands resources theoretical

The number of immigrant undergraduate students with diverse ethnicities and native languages has been continuously increasing. As a result, Immigrant Language-Minority (ILM) college student wellbeing and retention is the focus of many higher education institutions. The purpose of the present exploratory study was to examine relationships among personal (e.g., self-efficacy for learning, self-regulation)

We combined tenets of learning communities and place-based learning to develop an innovative first-year program for STEM students. Using a quasi-experimental design, we found that participants in the place-based learning community had a stronger sense of belonging, improved academic performance, and increased first-year persistence relative to a matched reference group. We also showed that participation

Existing explanations of faculty-student interactions emphasize social-organizational characteristics of higher education to the exclusion of social-psychological dimensions of the interactions themselves. Yet, student perceptions are essential cognitive elements that influence frequency of, and growth from, informal interaction with faculty. Drawing on a survey of students at a large public university

African-American and Latinx enrollment in higher education has increased dramatically in recent years at many predominantly White institutions. However, the graduation rates of these students are substantially lower than the general student population at many of these institutions. This study introduces “Success Central,” an innovative peer coaching initiative offered at a mid-size, comprehensive regional

The purpose of this study was to seek to understand the mobility patterns of faculty members, with particular attention to foreign-born faculty members who work at 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Examining data from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients, we looked at the mobility patterns of faculty members who held tenure-track faculty positions in 2003 and who responded to the

Higher education institutions have adopted diversity course requirements while hiring more faculty members off the tenure track. Non-tenure track faculty members’ experiences teaching required diversity courses while navigating their precarious employment status has not been sufficiently explored. Addressing this need, the present study examined the experiences of non-tenure track instructors teaching

This study examined a cross-campus collaboration to assess levels of student food insecurity, to identify factors contributing to increased risk for food insecurity, and to determine how to address food insecurity. A random sample of students at a public, mid-sized, regional university were asked to complete an electronic survey about food insecurity and related topics. A majority (65%) indicated being

Research that explores the experiences of college students consistently finds that the first year is the most daunting to navigate. While a well-established but far from exhaustive list of factors has been found to impact a student’s transition to and retention in college, very little research has focused on frontline faculty and student services administrators’ hidden expectations of first-year students

During the COVID-19 pandemic higher education institutions have faced many challenges, and among these are questions about how best to offer instruction in the face of sudden and mandatory college closures as well as in light of uncertainties about when campuses might open again. Coupled with these challenges have been signs that higher education is more innovative and flexible than we might have imagined

In the original publication, the article title was incorrect

Underrepresented minority women in STEM comprise the faculty group most likely to leave academia. To address this issue we instituted a program called “Amplifying Voices,” a virtual, mutual mentoring program linking four groups of six women across 20 institutions. We facilitated bi-weekly Zoom meetings for two years and evaluated the effectiveness of the program. Participants reported reduced isolation

“Reclaim the W” is an academic recovery program at a medium-sized midwestern university that offers undergraduates who have been academically dismissed a chance to reenroll at the institution. In this article we describe the Reclaim the W program and its target population of academically at-risk undergraduates. We then outline the first two phases of the process we used to develop an intervention for

The purpose of this study was to determine if using student recorded PechaKucha™ 20 × 20 presentations as an assignment in an online classroom yielded equivalent student learning compared to a similar written assignment. Twenty-one (15 women and 6 men) online graduate students participated in a mixed-method study using online surveys with a quasi-experimental design. While it was determined that student

Decades of policy initiatives, a developing body of literature, and a growing cadre of practitioners are united in suggesting that the preeminent approach to educating students about sustainability is by infusion throughout the higher education curriculum. While there is mounting evidence that sustainability should be taught to students beyond the disciplinary confines of natural science and geography

The cost of access to scholarly research creates inequity for readers with varying resources. Open access publishing is an avenue to address this inequity. This research employed a survey of scholars to discover what they know and think about open access. The survey elicited both faculty and doctoral student perspectives. Data were analyzed according to rank and discipline. Although the majority of

This article presents 50 year patterns of adult student participation in colleges and universities in the United States. These patterns changed dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s and then stabilized. Following these changes, adult student participation has continued to be significant and predictable in U.S. colleges and universities. In addition to reporting on these national patterns, this article

American college towns represent a unique but understudied feature of the global educational landscape. With hundreds of college towns dotting the American geographical landscape, this uniqueness is particularly relevant for rural higher education. This article identifies a taxonomy of characteristics found commonly in the everyday environments of American college towns. The taxonomy, which represents

Given the changing landscape of postsecondary faculty employment, institutions benefit from understanding how organizational policies and behaviors affects the faculty’s perception of organizational support. Using data from faculty members, including those with contingent and part-time appointments, at a single institution in the western United States, this study examined how the faculty’s perceptions

This study examined how factors associated with student development and persistence differ between first-generation and continuing-generation students and how participation in a learning community influences development and persistence. The findings show that first-generation students were less involved in academics and had lower gains in intellectual development and engagement with diverse perspectives

Colleges are increasingly open to partnering with private entities to implement new and innovative programs. Community colleges, in particular, may find such partnerships beneficial, given that these institutions often lack the necessary resources to invest up-front in programs that may yield strong long-term dividends. In this article we report on an examination of a partnership between a privately-held

The Rural and Diverse Student Scholars Program at George Mason University is a strategic initiative to recruit and retain rural and diverse Virginia students in STEM majors. A grant facilitated a partnership between an academic college and the Office of Admissions, enabling new recruiting methods to be tested. In this article we describe these recruitment efforts, summarize the outcomes, and share

Regional accreditation remains a central method of accountability in the United States and the gatekeeper to federal financial aid. Without such funding many colleges and universities would not survive. Prior research suggests that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face disproportionate accreditation sanctions compared with other institutions. Focusing on colleges and universities

Residential higher education brings thousands of students together for multiple years and offers them an array of shared intellectual experiences and a network of social interactions. Many of these intellectual and social connections are formed during courses. Students are connected to students through courses they take together, and courses are connected to one another by students who take both. These

In light of the rapid growth of the movement for educating students about sustainability, this study sought to understand the content and context of sustainability-related learning outcomes in higher education institutions in the United States by using data from 47 institutions. Findings show how institutions operationalize learning for sustainability, a continuum of location of these learning outcomes

The C4 Scholar Program (Cross Curricular Career Community) is an interdisciplinary, multi-semester learning community for first-year developmental students at a comprehensive midwestern state university. Faculty members from two units, Retention & Student Success and Arts and Sciences, created the program to address a persistent gap in retention between developmental and non-developmental first-year

Faculty members experience a gap between how they would prefer to spend their work time and how they actually do so. In this article we report results from a four-week workshop called “The Terrapin Time Initiative.” It was guided by theories of behavioral economics and behavioral design, which suggest that small changes to the context, or “choice architecture,” in which individuals make choices can

Community engagement in the classroom can take several forms such as engaged scholarship, service learning, and philanthropy. Each of these activities connects course material with the immediate community, creating a multi-directional discourse. In this article we explain and provide a program evaluation of the Student Philanthropy and Community Engagement Program (SPCEP) run in a wide variety of classes

Researchers consider a high level of institutional diversity in a higher education system as a strength. While the literature considers key elements of diversity, existing research fails to employ methodological approaches that balance the need for capturing the breadth and depth of similarities and differences across institutions. This article reports on the use of cluster analysis to examine data

Senior leadership teams are the key decision-makers invested with authority who work collectively to achieve organizational goals. While there is a rich literature on this topic across many disciplines, there is a dearth of research on this topic in higher education. In this article we argue for the need for research on senior leadership teams given their centrality in facilitating the changes needed

This paper describes a study examining how mathematics anxiety, test anxiety, and communication apprehension are related to student behavior in courses using standards-based grading. An observational study of mathematics courses with 221 participants found that test anxiety increased over the semester although many students reported lower stress or anxiety in an open-ended survey question. Mathematics

PowerPoint is one of the most widely used technological tools in educational contexts, but little is known about the differences in usage patterns by faculty members from various disciplines. For the study we report in this article we used a survey specially designed to explore this question, and it was completed by 106 faculty members from different disciplines. The results suggest the existence of

Following a major statewide developmental education reform in Florida, we explored institutional transformation among Florida College System institutions. We used statewide survey data to examine lead administrators’ perceptions of challenges encountered during the planning process, ways in which colleges engaged in sensemaking (i.e., social processes for developing shared understanding) and organizational