This study is concerned with the fact that commuter students persist at a lower rate than their residential peers. As colleges and universities seek to increase educational attainment rates, understanding why commuter students struggle with retention is important. Research shows sense of belonging can positively affect intention to persist. As…

Institutions of higher education must better understand and meet the needs of commuter students, so commuters are more likely to persist and graduate. The purpose of this study was to identify the specific factors that influence a commuter student's decision to remain enrolled by answering two questions: (1) What is the lived experience of a…

This mixed methods action research study was conducted at a women's, private, liberal arts university in the United States with the purpose to create an opportunity for the Latina female first-generations college students (LFFGCS) to; build a sense of belonging and community, and provide them with more resources on a variety of financial topics in…

Mandatory choice programs, like the one currently in place in New York City, have created a situation in which many students commute to schools outside of the neighborhood they live in. While the intent is to provide expanded access, students often find themselves on public transportation commuting to schools they know very little about and where…

This study investigated and analyzed how lateral transfer students who commute to college made sense of their transition and belonging between four-year institutions. Based on student mobility patterns, the lateral transfer population exceeds the number of community college transfers within the landscape of higher education. Colleges need to…

The purpose of this program evaluation project was to examine how type of housing impacted campus participation and educational outcomes in students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) enrolled in an inclusive higher education (IHE) program. The participants were college students with IDD who completed postsecondary coursework…

Mississippi lacks a formal unified method for evaluating academic advising programs, and it is unclear whether advisement practices are satisfactory and aiding in student success. This study attempted to assess advisement satisfaction among students attending community colleges in Mississippi. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of…

Increasing freshmen student retention and ultimately increasing their graduation rates continues to be a critical matter for institutions of higher education. Therefore, colleges and universities are attempting to understand the student service expectations of freshmen students as a primary mechanism to enhance matriculation rates. University…

Research is beginning to demonstrate that sophomores are unique in their academic and developmental needs, yet little is known about how college sophomores' satisfaction with their collegiate experience influences their persistence decisions. This study utilized logistic regression to predict college sophomores' persistence based on student…

This dissertation explored the four-year college experience of first-generation and continuing-generation students at a small private institution. Using Astin's I-E-O model (1970), the following variables in the student experience were considered: precollege student characteristics (input); engagement in academic experiences, cocurricular…