As colleges and universities focus on admitting and supporting more first-generation college students (FGCS), there is a need to examine ongoing and structural support for students after matriculation. Research has focused on how higher education supports FGCS individually. However, colleges and universities play a role in facilitating support for…

Since the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the largest student veteran enrollments have taken place at community colleges. Student veterans are considered "at-risk students" due to their high attrition rates in higher education. There is a lack of literature regarding the experiences of staff responsible for providing support…

This comparative quantitative survey design study examined sorority and fraternity members at a regional public institution in the Northeastern United States to determine if there were statistically significant differences between sorority and fraternity member perception of the prevalence of campus sexual misconduct; understanding of the…

This critical case study explores creating and implementing an undocumented resource center (USRC) in Utah. Using a qualitative research approach, the study draws on interviews with key stakeholders involved in the development and operation of USRCs and an analysis of policy documents and other relevant materials. The study finds that creating…

Material hardship impedes academic achievement at every level of education. This dissertation examines the response of a higher education institution in reducing poverty's impact, specifically food and housing insecurities, on its student population. This qualitative case study researched a single-bound case in the southern United States. The…

Student affairs professionals (SAPs) are no strangers to experiencing secondary trauma as their work in multiple fields brings them in close contact with students in crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education found its world turned upside down and students were facing heightened trauma due changing class modalities, problematic…

Food insecurity, housing insecurity, and homelessness are pervasive issues within the United States. Research conducted to understand the extent to which college students specifically experience food and housing insecurity indicates a relationship between unmet basic needs and negative educational outcomes. Both higher education institutions and…

Given the significance of completing college, the low college graduation rate for students with disabilities, and the effect of support services on students in the general population's ability to complete college, it is essential to understand the link between accessing support and attaining positive postsecondary education outcomes for the…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and similar identities (LGBTQ+) resource centers on college campuses provide services, resources, programming, and advocacy focused on gender and sexuality, especially minoritized genders and sexualities. As center staff enact this work at the individual and organizational levels, LGBTQ+ centers seek to…

This action research study provided insight into a proactive faculty and staff-centered approach facilitated by a Latinx Cultural Center at Guava University System. The purpose of the research study was to develop a faculty and staff-centered initiative that promoted awareness, information, and understanding of student referrals to the Latinx…

Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) at all-online universities are faced with the same challenge each year: creating a professional development curriculum that offers experienced and pedagogical support and community-building opportunities for faculty. Ideally, faculty would offer suggestions, contributions, and engagement regarding their…

During the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the primary concerns of the university leaders was students' mental health. Through the action research cycle, a university-based Center was created to promote the well-being of college students. The current research is an observation phase of the action research. The purpose of this study is…

Undocumented youth have been powerful leaders in the undocumented immigrant rights movement to advance a more just society for immigrant communities (Nicholls, 2013; Perez, 2016). Community colleges are important spaces in the higher education sector because most undocumented college students attend community colleges (Teranishi et al., 2011).…

With troop withdrawals in Iraq and the recent U.S. peace treaty with the Taliban in Afghanistan, community colleges can expect more veterans on their campuses in the near future. Many institutions are eager to serve these students but are not certain how to meet their needs. Veteran students contend with a range of issues, from the bureaucracy of…

Undocumented students in the United States continue to face unique barriers to postsecondary success. One way that community colleges and 4-year institutions are providing support for undocumented students is establishing undocumented student resource centers (USRCs). These emerging identity-based centers are dedicated spaces of support and…