The Impact of Facebook-based Dissertation Support Groups on the Sense of Belonging and Community Among PhD Students. This dissertation addresses the feelings of isolation and lack of support doctoral students feel during their doctoral journey, which results in a high attrition rate. The study explores the role of Facebook-based dissertation…

Formal and informal peer-to-peer support through advice plays an important role in enhancing students' experiences and ensuring their success in higher education. For international students who often face social and cultural challenges adapting to their new university environment, direct and authentic guidance from peers can be vital in helping…

Drawing on interviews with 13 low-income students from a small, highly selective college in the northeast, this study explores how social isolation and belonging may impact the trajectories of low-income and first-generation college students on elite college campuses. Findings indicate that students felt they did not "fit in" in their…

This study examined graduate students' desired and experienced levels of connectivity in an online, asynchronous distance degree program. Connectivity was conceptualized as the students' feelings of community and involvement, not their level of access to the Internet. Graduate students enrolled in a distance degree program were surveyed on both…