This dissertation measures and describes the factors that impact doctoral student persistence. Using a mixed methods cases study design, I analyzed institutional student record data, survey data on caregiving responsibilities, and data from semi-structured interviews with PhD students at a STEM-focused, public research university in the American…

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Emergency Remote Teaching through Online Learning" "(ERT-OL") has become the prevalent form of learning at many universities worldwide. At the same time, voices around the world have pointed to "difficulties" in online learning in general and to concerns regarding…

While many academic degree programs target nontraditional students who are working professionals, the literature exploring the challenges facing nontraditional students has not considered the experiences of students pursuing youth development degrees. This study explored benefits and challenges nontraditional students associate with participating…

The underrepresentation of American Indian students continues to exist at the undergraduate and graduate levels of postsecondary education despite increases of American Indian student enrollment. The purpose of this quantitative study is to identify correlations between academic factors and graduate student persistence, as well as to understand…

In 2013, the Student Centre at The University of Tasmania began researching the development of distance learning support. A survey was designed as part of this endeavour, which attracted 1002 responses. The survey's broad context focused on the primary drawbacks and benefits of distance education in general and sought to identify emergent themes…