Academic advising support services play a significant role in a student's college experience from enrollment to graduation. The various services they offer can be instrumental in student persistence and graduation rates. However, the graduation rates of African American students continue to lag behind other ethnicities at a local university in…

In this qualitative study, undergraduate and graduate students (n = 21) who identified as foster care alumni (FCA) were interviewed about the factors that influenced their academic persistence and retention as they pursued a degree at a 4-year public university in California. Several themes emerged from the study: (a) systemic barriers, (b) a…

The study sought to explore how Latino students' views on college-going influenced their first-year experiences and the adjustments they made to enhance their persistence. Narrative interviews with six Central Valley (California) Latino students provided an understanding of their college journeys, emphasizing aspirational, linguistic, familial,…

A growing subset of the United States community college student population are students who are parents. Parenting students contend with dividing their time and attention between the demands of parenting responsibilities, other life tasks, while being a student -- forming an intricate web of external factors that create barriers to their…

This study explores the role of student support services in fostering persistence among Some College, No Credential (SCNC) students re-entering higher education, with a specific focus on community colleges in Southern California. As the number of SCNC students continues to rise, understanding the challenges and support systems available to this…

The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of a theoretical model encompassing psychological theories underlying student retention in postsecondary education. New conceptual operationalizations were applied to elaborate Bean and Eaton's theoretical model of student retention. The influences of student entry characteristics,…

This study sought to examine to what extent faculty counselors (academic advisors) at a transfer-strong California community college (CCC) utilize core values as outlined by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), to what extent CCC students identifying as African American and/or Black (AA/B) with the goal of transfer are experiencing…

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs are a burgeoning approach to engage teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) research that they can translate into their K-12 classrooms. Despite an increase in studies of RETs, there is a need for comparison of RET and non-RET teachers' student outcomes. This mixed methods,…

Latinx student enrollment in higher education institutions has increased over the years. Despite their increased number of enrollments, there is also an increase of Latinx first-generation students dropping out of higher education. Not only are they not earning a degree, but they are leaving these institutions with debt. This is a concern because…

Latina community college students face significant barriers in achieving their educational goals, particularly transferring to 4-year institutions. Despite comprising a large and growing demographic within community colleges, their unique needs and experiences often remain unaddressed. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of…

This dissertation explores academic persistence among Latinx students at City College of San Francisco (CCSF), using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to emphasize the culturally-mediated nature of goal directed human activity. The study investigates factors related to persistence within the context of CCSF's Metro Transfer Program…

This article presents a qualitative study of how undocumented students experience a unique dimension of legal oppression in the U.S. that results in diminishing their hope in a country that they consider their home. Throughout this study and with the use of a Critical Legal Studies perspective, the author interrogates the role that U.S.…

To study beliefs about ability and STEM major choice, I conduct a field experiment where I provide students with information that they are above average in their top fields of study. I find that STEM students are more likely to switch out of their major and that non-STEM students fail to switch into STEM at the same rates as other fields. I also…

Purpose: This qualitative study explored the educational lived experiences of first-generation Latino/a/x California community college transfer students, who had achieved "at the gate" transfer-ready status, and the factors that positively impact their persistence and successful transfer from a Hispanic-serving California community…

The research explores Black and Latinx recent high school graduates' perceptions of their high school English classes and the value they placed on their experiences and their futures. This study aims to amplify the voices of students who have been dismissed from academic research on issues concerning student voice by providing recent graduates an…