Anchored in intersectionality theory and minority stress theory, this study examined campus climate and sense of belonging for 77,997 undergraduates at 49 North American higher education institutions. This study was guided by three research questions: (Q1) What is the relationship between undergraduate students' sense of belonging outcomes and…

Building on the previous chapters in the volume, this concluding chapter provides a practical overview of theories relating to religious diversity and organizational change to outline recommended actions for practitioners across higher education functional areas who want to create a more equitable landscape for non-Christian college students.

In an era of profound antisemitism, it is essential that higher education leaders and campus communities provide additional, direct support to Jewish students. In this space, we introduce recent literature on Jewish identity expressions and campus climates for bolstering Jewish appreciation in hopes of catalyzing necessary conversations with…

There is scant available research and scholarly discourse related to the unique needs and experiences of Buddhist students in US higher education - even in the small but growing body of literature on religiously minoritized college students. In this chapter, I summarize what little research does exist on Buddhist students, and explain the broader…

Campus climate can strongly affect the experiences of collegiate students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Using person-centered methodologies and thriving as methodological and conceptual lenses, we created groups of institutions based on perceptions of climate to illustrate differences in LGBTQ+ student engagement using data from…

Queer and transgender students in higher education experience elevated rates of discrimination, bias, and harassment, which affect their well-being and academic outcomes. These experiences differ across various identities within these communities, necessitating a nuanced approach to understanding their distinct challenges. This article examines…

This study examined rates of mental health outcomes between LGBTQ+ students and their straight/heterosexual and cisgender peers. The participants included undergraduate students (n = 77,635) from 142 institutions of higher education in the United States who completed the Spring 2024 National College Health Assessment (NCHA). Cross-tabulations with…

In this chapter, the experiences of mid-level business and finance staff positions in private colleges are explored to illuminate how they engage the campus environment as they help navigate their institutional fiscal vitality through the lens of empowerment theory. Through qualitative interviewers, findings include how they negotiate shared…

This chapter examines areas in which institutions may be falling short of satisfying sophomores' expectations for the everyday interactions of life on campus. It provides recommendations for demonstrating institutional values in practical ways that express care for sophomores and interest in meeting their needs effectively.

This chapter highlights some of the extant literature on LGBT students at HBCUs and discusses some of the challenges they encounter at these institutions. Furthermore, it offers recommendations to help HBCUs be more intentional about creating a more affirming and inclusive campus environment for LGBT students.

High-impact learning practices can connect varied elements of the college environment to create a more coherent educational experience that facilitates student learning.

This chapter highlights the factors that hinder or contribute to the success of Latino and Latina students at predominantly White institutions. The Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model is offered as a framework from which to create environments for Latino/a students to thrive in college.

When institutions engage in discussions regarding improving retention and graduation rates, invariably the conversation focuses on entering student characteristics, especially ACT and SAT scores and high school grades. Clearly, attracting and enrolling well-prepared and motivated high-ability students will certainly improve institutional measures…

In this article, the author illustrates how three campuses have, in their own way, attempted to bring coherence to the student experience and enrich that experience by more closely matching what was promised to what each student actually experiences while enrolled. Fulfilling students' expectations that were purposefully articulated in the mission…

International branch campuses (IBCs) have been established in significant numbers over the past ten years. A common criticism of IBCs is that they cannot recreate the student culture of the home campus. While this is true, some IBCs have gone to great lengths not only to create a comparable culture for their students, but also to integrate their…