This study extends the doctoral education literature by examining how social support and social identification, as they apply to peers, supervisors, and the academic community, are related to mental wellbeing and psychological distress in doctoral students by using person-centred analysis to create social profiles. Doctoral students (N = 200)…

Transitioning to graduate school in the United States presents many challenges for international students including culture shock, academic shock, language barriers, and homesickness. As universities continue to bring international students to their classrooms, it is imperative that they feel welcome and supported. To this end, a university in the…

I present a comprehensive view of mentoring experiences of undergraduate students and faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In CHAPTER 1 I describe a brief outline of this dissertation. In CHAPTER 2, I present an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of former STEM undergraduate…

The convergent mixed methods study highlighted the career demographics, barriers, and strategies for public high school athletic directors affiliated with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The purpose of the study was threefold: 1) Understand the career profile of athletic directors; 2) Explore the barriers women encounter in…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of students of color enrolled in graduate counseling education (GCE) master's-level programs in California. A phenomenological approach was used, and participants included 25 students of color from five GCE programs who were enrolled in terminal master's-level counseling…

Higher education is a predictor of employment for individuals who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an increasing number of students with ASD are enrolling in college. However, deficits in executive functioning (EF) make academic success difficult. This systematic review of literature identified ten research studies examining the effects…

Learner engagement in online courses is impacted by a wide variety of factors. The purpose of this study was to understand to what extent course community support and personal community support influence learner engagement. Students who had recently completed an online course in a small art and design school were surveyed on their level of…

Objective: This study investigated differences in stress, anxiety, and social support between collegiate student-athletes and nonathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: College students enrolled at a NCAA Division III private liberal arts college in the Midwest. Methods: Participants (n = 58) completed a series of surveys each month…

Christopher Travers and Na'eem Allen-Stills discuss Communion for Black Men (CBM), a Black Male Initiative (BMI), which is a community gathering for Black college men to combat feelings of loneliness, isolation, and unbelonging. The bi-weekly Saturday Zoom sessions last between 75 and 90 minutes. On average, about 7--10 Black male higher education…

Persistence across undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs is exceptionally low. Recent studies have shown that social support and sense of belonging are particularly important for students who are historically underrepresented in STEM, yet few interventions have directly targeted or investigated these…

This qualitative study used an inclusive and participatory research approach to examine the perspectives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) on instrumental supports. Instrumental supports include concrete and direct ways people assist others in solving a problem or accomplishing a task, including helping to access and…

Social isolation and loneliness are reported as having significant impacts on health, especially for older people. Policy concern has led to the creation of interventions to try and tackle these issues, including the funding of community-based support groups. The National Lottery Ageing Better Fund, 2015-2022 supported voluntary and community…

In this paper we examine how those who design and facilitate LGBTQ+ social justice educational interventions (SJEIs), commonly known as Safe Zone or Ally Workshops, as part of their institutional role described the content and outcomes of those workshops. We provide insights about types, components, and approaches of these LGBTQ+ SJEIs. Then,…

Background: Since the introduction of austerity measures in 2008, funding for care, welfare, services and support systems in the United Kingdom has been reduced. There is little research that explores the experiences of parents of adults with intellectual disabilities and service providers regarding care, relationships and social networks in times…

Bullying is a worrisome problem for school-age youths, particularly as it has been associated with suicidal ideation among students. The psychological pain theory of suicide and the buffering hypothesis of social support as a protective factor have been established, but have not been tested among Saudi students. The aim of this study was to…