This study aimed to critically assess the current state of transgender student inclusion in South African universities, highlighting the challenges, progress and potential areas for improvements that exist. This article highlights the complexities of legal identity, self-determined identity and the recognition of transgender identity in South…

College affordability is a significant factor in student access, retention, and completion. Tuition and fee rates are a component of affordability, as is the availability of financial aid programs from federal, state, institutional and private sources, among other factors. Strategically designed approaches to college affordability can better…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of students working as resident assistants (RAs) in college or university housing departments during the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdown. Twelve current and former RAs participated in qualitative interviews exploring their experience as their institutions shut down because of COVID-19.…

This quantitative study aimed to expand upon existing research, which discussed student expectations, the relationship between expectations and retention, persistence, and student success, as well as why understanding student expectations is important to supporting student success. This research study explored these concepts from a lens of…

Objective: The present study examined if identification with mainstream American culture (acculturation) and heritage culture (enculturation) are differentially associated with blackouts and other drinking consequences among male and female college students of color. Participants: Participants were college students (N = 150) who self-identified as…

The role of university student housing in the lives of undergraduate students has changed. While student housing used to be understood only as a space to accommodate students who primarily come from out of town, now universities have started using student housing strategically to advance the success of the students. Student housing is now used to…

With an overall goal of continuous learning, what emphasis is placed on competencies in entry-level residence life professional training? Staff in campus housing departments use competency-based training to provide higher levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities especially between the first and third years of entry-level residence life…

Universities worldwide have seen an expansion of students. We surveyed 1,193 students at the University of the Free State and conducted interviews and focus groups to better understand the factors that contribute to housing satisfaction. Satisfaction depended on a range of environmental factors, particularly noise levels, rules, security, privacy,…

Students are transferring from community colleges to four-year institutions in increasing numbers, yet transfers are persisting and graduating from four-year institutions at lower levels than students who had begun at the institution. Research suggests that transfer students feel less connected to a four-year institution, and fostering transfer…

Global student mobility is growing in importance as students increasingly turn their interest worldwide. International student spouses and their personal experiences is an emerging problem of practice in higher education due to their connection to international student retention rates. In particular, what support systems are provided to this…

Can residential experiences help undergraduates develop holistic competencies? To answer this question, a study was conducted based on the insights of 211 residents in Hong Kong. Deductive and inductive content analyses were respectively used to examine residence life outcomes, particularly in holistic competencies, and to categorise the types of…

This study examined one Midwestern university's emotional support animal (ESA) population and asked the question, "Are ESAs effective in the context of higher education given the academic and social demands of a student?" The number of ESA requests has increased in recent years as more students considered an ESA to help regulate…

Resident assistant hiring decisions are critical to the residential student experience and ultimately to the success of housing and residence life departments. The purpose of this study is to explore the influences existing in the hiring decision-making process for housing and residence life staff. We also compare the influences of hiring…

For decades, the student affairs field has viewed supervision as a vital function of many professional roles for which staff rarely receive intentional training. While there is limited scholarship outlining what effective supervision should entail, the frameworks available to intentionally guide supervisory skill development is sparse. The…

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to understand how institutions of higher education implemented a gender-inclusive housing option for students from the perspective of student affairs administrators. Of particular interest was how housing administrators perceived a gender-inclusive housing option impacted students and the campus community.…