A Dissertation in Practice was conducted which connected theories of action and Yosso's (2015) community cultural wealth framework to address the absence of diverse parental perspectives and oversight at Freedom Middle School in South Texas. Platicas with seven parent volunteers and a parent engagement survey available to all Freedom Middle School…

Real-world experience is often considered subordinate to academic learning at the doctoral level. Lessons from experiential learning at the doctoral level show higher education can be equity-minded and focused on the needs of learners without sacrificing depth and quality even at the highest levels of educational attainment. Doctoral faculty…

Situating residential colleges on a common map can provide important information about the community and its residents. Residential colleges (RCs), a subset of living-learning communities, are like the houses in Hogwarts from the Harry Potter book series, where students live together, share meals in a common space, and learn with and among each…

Despite high attrition rates and abundant criticisms, online graduate programs continue to grow. This paper describes the efforts of one online doctoral program that focused on developing programmatic support structures to increase community. Utilizing a qualitative, case study research design, including surveys and semi structured interviews,…

The purpose of this phenomenological narrative study was to explore why many aged-out foster youth from the Texas and Louisiana foster care system do not complete a high school diploma. The researcher conducted eight interviews with participants who had been in the foster care systems of these states for at least five years. The interviews were…

This phenomenological study explores best practice strategies of Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) in Texas universities in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Due to the passing of Senate Bill 17, most Chief Diversity Officers were reclassified, and departmental modifications were made. Eight CDOs with a minimum of two years of…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the perspectives and attitudes of teacher social emotional competencies (SEC) in relation to self-awareness and sense of belonging within the campus community. This mixed methods study focused on certified general education and special populations teachers in a rural Texas Independent School…

The designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is based on a percentage of Latinx students enrolled, rather than how policies, programs, or curriculum impact these students' education. We describe how one Hispanic-Serving College of Education sought to make the designation meaningful through a collaborative research initiative in which…

The purpose of this study is to highlight Mexican American Studies programs in community colleges, a sector where Ethnic Studies has largely gone unstudied. Drawing on interviews from 13 faculty members across Texas, this study describes these instructors' approach to teaching and the impact they feel this type of curriculum has on students'…

Operating from intersecting theories of validation, marginality, and mattering, this phenomenological study investigated undocumented student support services from the perspective of 49 Undocumented Student Resource Center (USRC) practitioners. In-depth interviews highlighted the ways that USRC practitioners served as validating agents, directly…

There are many studies on the role of technology in facilitating equality, quality, and effectiveness in higher learning in the last decade. This study aims at exploring the sustainability of a postgraduate program in a USA context following the COVID surge. Relational assurance is employed through qualitative methods, and frameworks to make sense…

This mixed method study assessed the perceptions of health professional graduate students on a sense of belonging and evaluated the engagement experiences valued most in a graduate program across three domains of belonging, academics and diversity, equity and inclusion. Hispanic students valued building professional relationships with faculty and…

Given the critical role of mentoring in the success of African American males in college, it is essential to gain a deeper understanding of how mentoring programs can best support African American male students and what elements contribute to their success (Henry, 2021). Recognizing that mentoring significantly influences the retention, academic…

Afterschool and summer programs offer a multitude of benefits for students and families across the nation, from providing tangible resources like wraparound services to connecting students with supportive adults and peers. These programs not only deliver immediate benefits, but research also shows they bear long-term positive effects on students'…

In this article, we explore the experiences of students at HBCUs as they traverse their STEM courses and STEM majors and demonstrate how their paths in STEM are positively shaped by a "culture of family." Our research questions include: What are the experiences of students attending HBCUs and pursuing degrees in STEM? And how do their…