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…

Of the research examining undergraduate students' belongingness, monolithic approaches to LGBTQ+ student studies are common. Bisexual, pansexual, and other multi-gender attracted students (also known via umbrella terms such as plurisexual, bisexual+, or multi-sexual spectrum) are relatively understudied, despite calls for a more thorough…

Sixty percent of students experience the death of a close person at some point in their post-secondary studies. This life stage is characterized by cognitive, academic, social, physical, emotional, and identity-related stressors which together may also intensify grief. Importantly, post-secondary students' unique needs may not be addressed by…

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,…

In this study, the authors engaged with 54 peer financial mentors from seven institutions of higher education across the US through a qualitative inquiry using a Maslowian lens. PFMs, a type of college student worker, are typically hired by program managers or supervisors of financial wellness programs housed within financial offices, student…

Researchers continue to investigate the underrepresentation of Black undergraduate students in STEM majors. Hostile racial environments (George Mwangi et al., 2016) and the lack of culturally relevant resources (Johnson & Elliott, 2020) inform participation and persistence for Black students in STEM majors. The incorporation of collaborative…

The purpose of this study was to understand near-peer mentoring emergent in student affairs higher education (SAHE) graduate preparation programs. Using qualitative methods grounded in a constructivist paradigm and informed by the diverse learning environments (DLE) model (Hurtado et al. 2012), we researched the experiences of graduate and…

The number of international students in US higher education has grown significantly in the past decade; in 2018-19, more than 1 million foreign students were studying in the US (Institute of International Education, 2019). Many incoming college students, both domestic and international, experience psychological difficulties that may result from…

Nation-building and giving back represent a cyclical relationship rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing. To give back in a postsecondary context means to acquire a college degree to help advance efforts of nation-building. Therefore, students' desire to give back is an Indigenous teaching that emphasizes relationality relationships, reciprocity,…

We examined how different types of interactions affect psychological sense of community among students in living-learning programs. Distinctions were drawn among 3 types of interactions--academic, social, and deeper life--in which students engage with faculty, staff, and peers. Accounting for both the type of interaction and the participants, we…

Given the rapid increase in tertiary enrollments in Trinidad and Tobago over the past 2 decades, there is a critical need for locally based research to guide practice in student support services. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the work of student support services--in particular, students' interactions with…

As more autistic students enroll in postsecondary education, they embark on a journey that leads them to not only process their identities as college students but also as autistic individuals. This social constructivist grounded theory study elevated autistic college students' perspectives as they made sense of their identities while participating…

The transition to college life presents myriad opportunities, hurdles, and learning experiences. Honors education emphasizes the importance of building community. This article showcases a program developed to engage first semester honors students in community through cocurricular activities designed to raise their awareness of diversity,…

The discourse about men of color in higher education centers on their lower enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. This paper drew on validation theory to understand how two men of color programs helped 41 Black, Latino, Asian American, and Pacific Islander college students develop healthy gender expression and emotional vulnerability.…

This study employed homeplace and compañerismo as conceptual frameworks to examine the role of space among Latino men in graduate school. While research has highlighted the importance of space for marginalized students on college campuses, this literature has primarily focused on the undergraduate level. Such is valuable work, yet it is critical…