Scholars and the public alike have questioned the benefits of obtaining an undergraduate education. Although research has extensively examined short-term outcomes associated with college experiences, relatively few studies have investigated non-economic outcomes beyond graduation. This paper explored the link between college experiences and…

Recent legal challenges to race-conscious college admissions processes have called into question what constitutes a sufficient level of diversity on college campuses. Previous research on the educational benefits of diversity has examined the linear relationship between diversity interactions and student outcomes, but multiple theoretical…

Examined the effectiveness of 4-year women-only and coeducational colleges in cultivating women students' intellectual development. Found no significant differences relative to critical thinking ability and analytical and problem-solving skills, but women-only colleges appeared to have a greater positive impact on development of intellectual…

A study of the relationship between student financial contribution to college costs and self-perceived intellectual development between the freshman and senior years found that students contributing over 75 percent of their costs were less dualistic, more committed to life goals, more stable, and better at expressing their values and thoughts.…

This study surveyed 50 full-time faculty from a doctoral-granting institution regarding their definition of faculty scholarship, through naming and describing scholars. An inventory of 249 attributes of faculty scholarship resulted, confirming the complexity of the faculty scholarship construct. (The inventory is appended.) (Author/DB)

A study (n=139 students) used hierarchical structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between intellectual development and identity from the beginning of the freshman year through the end of the sophomore year. Results suggest that the college freshman's sense of identity is important in later intellectual development. Intervention…

A study assessed the relationship between the freshman-year experience and the importance students attach to the educational goals of gaining a liberal education, developing career knowledge and skills, enhancing personal knowledge and improving interpersonal skills. (Author/MLW)

This study utilized a national longitudinal data set of college students to examine the educational relevance of cross-racial interaction and how campuses can best structure such opportunities. The general pattern of findings suggests that cross-racial interaction has positive effects on students' intellectual, social, and civic development. The…