It is essential to include all individuals who can contribute to research, education, and society, especially those from diverse backgrounds and abilities. Yet dis/abled graduate students have been ignored in institutional policies, departmental practices, instruction, advising, and research. Responding to this gap in knowledge, I explore the…

The experiences of undocumented students have gained much attention over the last decade and researchers have shed light on the barriers these students face in regard to postsecondary educational access and success. However, the conversations about undocumented students in higher education are often focused on Latinx experiences thereby excluding…

This dissertation explores the evolving landscape of graduate business education, highlighting the growing significance of specialized master's programs alongside traditional MBAs at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. It recognizes the changing demographics and needs of students, emphasizing the critical importance of fostering a…

Throughout my life, grief's torrents have run undercurrent to my personal and professional journey. It has taken my arrival to mid-life, decades of professional and life experiences as well as higher education for this awareness to flow. I have been grieving for my lost self as woman; my shattered voice as a teacher; and the freedom to choose as a…

The purpose of this research is to explore how Jewish students experience achieving a sense of belonging on campus. This research is important for understanding the experiences and factors that affect this group of students and might lead to suggestions for how Jews may achieve a healthy sense of belonging and avoid alienation, which might affect…

As schools have been required to provide more and more services and as more and more people have left rural areas, school consolidation has become the answer. During the 1990s, it was ruled that the state of public school funding was unconstitutional. To solve this problem the state legislature passed Act 60 of 2003. Act 60 set the minimum…

In this dissertation, I employed positioning theory, space, and agency to frame how six Indonesian English language academics housed in Mutiara University constructed their academic identity as they navigate Tri Dharma. Grounded in social constructionism, this study used qualitative inquiry to explore and understand the participants' academic…

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act improved access to postsecondary education for disabled students, yet they are still marginalized and leave university at rates 17% higher than nondisabled students (Lombardi & Lalor, 2017). The specific problem is that disabled students face compounding barriers to success, including oppressive…

The collateral consequences of a criminal conviction have long-lasting and devastating effects on people involved in the criminal justice system. From losing the ability to find employment, to being banned from public housing, to losing access to most federal benefits, "justice-involved" people face a life of punishment, even after their…

The benefit of parental involvement (PI) cannot be underestimated, most specifically, the PI that operates on mutual trust and respect, and balancing of power between homes and schools. It is particularly beneficial to students who are learning English as a second language because their parents can partner with educators to close the achievement…

This study examines the impact that My Other Brother (MOB) has on college Black male students in the MOB community organization. In critically examining the narratives of 12 first generation college Black male students in MOB: This study utilizes Tupac Shakur's construct of Thug Life as a theoretical and analytical lens in assessing how Black…

To improve environmental conservation efforts in Nigeria, environmental education content and practice need to be transformed to enable learners to study their own environments, share their knowledge, and generate conservation solutions. To achieve this, ten teachers, one researcher, and one educational technologist/research assistant engaged in a…

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of transgender higher education professionals. There have been great strides in the acceptance and inclusion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. However, the acceptance level of transgender individuals has not reached the same level as the LGB community. Utilizing a…

Rural students, especially rural Appalachian students, remain underrepresented in higher education (ARC, n.d.). Enrollment declines continue to exist at a majority of institution types across the country as traditional sources of students continue to dry up. Universities and colleges are rediscovering rural areas in order to try to bridge gaps in…

This qualitative case study explored how undergraduate students from rural areas experience higher education environments and develop a sense of belonging at a large Midwestern public university. This study defined rural considering students' hometown population size and density as well as each individual participant's constructed reality of a…