The number of college athletes in the US has gradually increased, and in the 2020-2021 academic year, a record high of approximately 480,000 athletes participated in NCAA sports (NCAA Research, 2024). Along with this growth, scholars have highlighted various factors influencing college athletes' career development (e.g., career maturity, athletic…

Despite its presence on many colleges and universities and substantial financial investment in higher education, very little research has explored whether and how participation in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) shapes college students' experiences and development. Using data from interviews with 20 cadets in one U.S. Army ROTC…

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 14 LGBTQ+ college students in healthy intimate relationships with a focus on the ways that romantic partners give and receive affection. Framed through a consideration of "love languages," this study challenges and extends what have become socially normative strategies for demonstrating…

Peer socialization agents (PSAs; e.g., resident assistants, orientation leaders) are trained to facilitate belonging through formal socialization initiatives. We used secondary qualitative data analysis, in combination with a critical constructivist approach, to explore PSAs' sense of belonging and the contexts in which they experience it through…

We describe relationships among epistemological, interpersonal, and intrapersonal development in Chinese college students from the perspective of self-authorship theory. The themes that emerged from interviews with 13 junior or senior students offer insights into unique aspects of self-authorship development in the Chinese higher education context…

Antonio Duran Nancy E. Thacker Darrow LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other minoritized genders and sexualities) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities contend with oppressive realities on and off college campuses. Family relationships--families of origin and chosen families--have garnered attention…

Female doctoral students often experience several challenges in the program while balancing their personal and family roles. This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of international student mothers (N = 6) while pursuing full-time doctoral degrees, providing insights into how they navigate a research university. The study has one…

In this phenomenological research approach (Vagle, 2018), I investigated the unique ways BGBQM faculty and staff build relationships with students to illuminate the essence of race, gender, and sexuality in BMI and MoC mentoring programs. I collected data from two sources: individual semi-structured interviews and podcast-style focus groups.…

Fraternal organizations have often received criticism from individuals who argue that these groups perpetuate harmful gendered norms and oppress members who identify with queer communities. However, scholars and practitioners alike have paid little attention to members who identify as bisexual/pansexual (bi/pan) within these organizations. This…

The interactions that Students of Color have in college have been shown to influence numerous outcomes. Previous research has not proposed and validated a model for student success with this population that concurrently measures multiple types of interactions with multiple constituents. The purpose of this study was to assess how academic, social,…

Nearly a quarter of Hispanic college students experience race-based bias and discrimination on college campuses (McLennan & Jacobo, 2018). These experiences often take the form of microaggressions or subtle everyday interactions conveying negative messages toward marginalized groups (Ogunyemi et al., 2020). Among Hispanic college students at…

In the wake of highly visible institutionalized anti-Black violence, this study examined how sense of belonging manifests among Black students at historically white colleges. The findings speak to the need to expand upon the conceptualization of sense of belonging for Black students, particularly considering the history of racial trauma in the…

The overwhelming majority of scholarship about collegiate sexual violence centers experiences of white, cisgender, heterosexual women (Harris et al., 2020; Linder et al., 2020), although LGBTQ students experience even higher rates of sexual violence than their cisgender and heterosexual peers (Cantor et al., 2019). The exclusion of asexual…

International educators have continually served on the front lines supporting international students, ensuring university compliance with changing federal policies, and assessing risks related to travel and global engagement. As a result, international educators often have to navigate multiple conflicting roles within their jobs on college…

First-year university students encounter considerable academic stress, possibly resulting in mental health problems. Although studies have illustrated the academic and health benefits of sense of belonging, few studies have focused on its role in the relationship between academic stress and mental health complaints. The current study used…