As the number of international students increases worldwide, it is crucial to explore what makes international students feel welcomed at university campuses. The study investigates whether higher rates of participation in extracurricular activities and higher frequencies of contact with ethnically diverse students strengthen the sense of belonging…

We use survey data from three four-year campuses to explore the relationship between academic validation and student outcomes during students' first 3 years in college using structural equation modeling. We examine both a psychosocial outcome (mattering to campus) and an academic outcome (cumulative GPA). We find that both frequency of…

Students' time expenditures influence their learning and development. This study used latent profile analysis to identify a taxonomy of how first-year students spend their time using a large multi-institution sample. We identified four time usage patterns by first-year students titled Balanced, Involved, Partiers, and Parents. Sex, expected major…

This study examined the links between multiple levels of belonging and forms of behavioral and emotional engagement among STEM undergraduates in five geographically and culturally distinct institutions in the United States. Data were gathered from a survey specifically designed to capture the links between these key elements of the undergraduate…

The authors examined factors associated with membership of university graduates in the dues-based alumni association of their alma mater. Logistic regression was used to analyze variables that came from survey responses and from an existing database. All participants had attended a public doctoral-granting research university in the South.…

A study investigated attitudinal, demographic, involvement, and philanthropic characteristics of a university's alumni donors (n=210) and nondonors (n=161). Analysis revealed predictors of nondonors versus donors with 65 percent accuracy, and high donors versus low donors with 87 percent accuracy. Implications for fund raising are discussed.…

A study of faculty contact with college freshmen and sophomores and the students' grade point averages (GPA) found little reciprocity. GPA was most strongly affected by high school performance and academic integration, and faculty contact was most influenced by advisor contact, talking in class, and campus organization membership. (MSE)

Five research principles are proposed to increase the utility of studies of college student culture: attempting to discover how group membership mediates member behavior and contributes to valued outcomes of college; using best practices of qualitative research; using flexible cognitive frameworks when collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data;…

A survey of 1,793 students at nine state universities found cheating was influenced by a number of characteristics of individuals, including age, sex, and grade point average, and contextual factors, including level of cheating among peers, peer disapproval of cheating, fraternity/sorority membership, and perceived severity of penalties for…

A study investigated how the diversity of a group of business administration students affected performance in and satisfaction about participation in a computerized business strategy game. Subjects were 129 small groups, composed of undergraduate and graduate students, in 21 class sections. Results showed diversity negatively affected group…