While mindfulness intervention research is prevalent, it is limited in (1) relation to college students' grade point average (GPA) and retention and (2) minimum dosage recommended for the intervention. This repeated-measures quasi-experimental nonequivalent control groups study investigated differences in mindfulness, stress, flourishing, GPA, and…

Individual differences are important predictors of academic success. A sense of purpose in life is gaining increasing attention as a key individual difference factor to foster in university students. The current study examined whether a sense of purpose in life, a dispositional tendency to pursue goals and activities in line with one's overarching…

This study demonstrates a holistic view into the structure of the Student Athlete Study Room Program, collecting and analyzing data from the student athletes who participated in the program, the peer tutors who facilitated the program, the athletic coaches who engaged with the program support, and the professional staff administrative oversight…

Despite a burgeoning literature on first-generation college student success, little is known about how the presence of first-generation or continuing-generation peers may facilitate desired outcomes among first-generation students. Moreover, two theoretical traditions lead to contrasting predictions about the potential impact of the representation…

The second year of college is a time when students remain at increased risk of departure. Compared to widely available first-year resources, institutional support for second-year students is more limited. The purpose of this study was to compare second-to-third year retention between students who participated in a comprehensive second-year…

The transition from secondary to tertiary education varies from country to country. In many countries, secondary school is concluded with high-stakes, national exams, or high-stakes entry tests are used for admissions to tertiary education. In other countries, secondary-school grade point average (GPA) is the determining factor. In the…

Psychological capital (PsyCap) is uniquely positioned at the intersection between student and academic institution. College administrators should look to psychological capital, beyond just student performance, for retention efforts in the financial management of the institution. The psychological capital and retention of four cohorts of freshmen…

While many Americans may be questioning the value of a college degree due to rising costs, on virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment--from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed full time--young college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education. Yet college dropout rates indicate…

Data-driven assessments in academic libraries, which demonstrate their relevance to student success, have become increasingly crucial. This correlational study aimed to assess whether using online resources and borrowing print materials from the university library contributed to higher grade point averages (GPA) and better retention rates among…

When institutions introduce financial aid policies, researchers have an opportunity to study these policies within the framework of a natural experiment. For this methodological note, I use a natural experiment that occurred at the public university when institutional scholarship for all first-time freshmen meeting a minimum high school grade…

Background: Increasing the persistence of engineering transfer students can help meet the US national priority of increasing the number of engineering graduates. Many transfer students experience a decrease in their grade point average (GPA) at their receiving institution, known as transfer shock, which can lead to them leaving the institution.…

Demand for the skill of critical thinking is extensive in both higher education and in the workforce. The purpose of the current research is to examine the relationship between critical thinking educational efforts (e.g., programs incorporating high impact practices) and higher education student outcomes. For this study, student outcomes were…

This study extends previous research on student-faculty interaction and discriminatory climates in STEM fields by examining the effect of both positive/neutral and discriminatory forms of student-faculty interactions on GPA and academic satisfaction. Feeling discouraged from speaking in class due to race was negatively associated with student GPA,…

A paradox exists among Hispanic college-bound students: despite a greater inclination toward pursuing a college education, they are among the least likely to persist toward graduation. This study contributes to understanding Hispanic persistence and retention strategies at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). It examines the relationship…

In 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that agriculture baccalaureate graduates were only expected to fill two-thirds of the available job openings. To address this need, it has become critical for colleges of agriculture to retain high-quality students. In response, universities have attempted to determine the practices to…