The six-year university graduation rate for minority, first-generation, and low-income students is significantly lower than it is for non-minority students, students whose parents went to college, and students from high-income families. The problem addressed in this study was small private, faith-based institutions do not have a viable model for…

In this study, we analyzed the Successful/Unsuccessful Grading (SUG) program, an intervention that was founded at a large public university to support students during their transition into the first year of undergraduate engineering (EG) coursework. To understand how the SUG program impacts student retention of EG majors, we conducted an analysis…

Women contend with gender bias in certain science contexts, which suggests they may be likely to adopt prevention-focused modes of regulation aimed at maintaining safety and security in such settings. This study represented an integrated test of regulatory focus theory (RFT; Higgins, 1997, 1998) and the critical mass hypothesis, which assumes that…

This article reports on a study that investigated the relationship between three dimensions of campus racial climate and faculty satisfaction with a large, nationally representative faculty sample (N = 29,169), using a multilevel structural equation model. Results indicate that campus racial climate has a large and highly significant effect upon…

In the context of a national conversation about exclusionary discipline, we conducted a multilevel examination of the relative contributions of infraction, student, and school characteristics to rates of and racial disparities in out-of-school suspension and expulsion. Type of infraction; race, gender, and to a certain extent socioeconomic status…

Gender-matched role models are often proposed as a mechanism to increase identification with science among girls, with the ultimate aim of broadening participation in science. While there is a great deal of evidence suggesting that role models can be effective, there is mixed support in the literature for the importance of gender matching. We used…

Although more women than men are enrolled in college within the United States, women remain underrepresented in critical areas of study such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This is particularly concerning given that STEM fields of study are vital to the economic growth and workforce development within the United…

Minority populations are underrepresented in fields of science, perhaps limiting scientific perspectives. Informed by recent studies using social cognitive career theory, this study examined whether three conceptual constructs: self-efficacy, perceived adult support, and perceived barriers, along with several discrete and immutable variables,…

The quantitative study seeks to analyze if School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) model reduces the likelihood that minority students will receive more individualized supports due to behavior problems. In theory, the SWPBIS model should reflect a 3-tier system with tier 1 representing approximately 80%, tier 2 representing…

Recognizing the need to improve postsecondary access and success for underrepresented populations, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), City College of San Francisco (CCSF), the City and County of San Francisco, and key community organizations formed the Bridge to Success initiative in 2009. The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and…

This research study was specifically designed to examine the relationship of a learning communities program, as a standard treatment effect, on the academic performance and retention of college freshmen during the Fall 2008 through Fall 2011 academic semesters, and specifically for a university comprised of higher levels of underrepresented…

This study confirmed appropriate measurement model fit for a theoretical model, the STEM vocational choice (STEM-VC) model. This model identifies exogenous factors that successfully predicted, at a statistically significant level, a student's vocational choice decision to pursue a STEM degree at transfer. The student population examined for this…

The chapter begins by discussing why the continued underrepresentation of blacks and Hispanics in American higher education is a critical area for research, policy, and practice. The author then describes the expanded conceptual model and summarizes research support for the model. (Contains 1 table.)