Doctoral attrition is a well-known issue, and stakeholders constantly seek solutions to minimize its occurrence. Reported statistics on doctoral attrition over the past decade have consistently remained at 50% (Artiles & Matusovich, 2020; Jaksztat et al., 2021; Moran, 2017; Van Rooij et al., 2021; Young et al., 2019). Most of these reports…

Completion rates in higher education have historically been low. Colleges and universities have tried many different programs, offerings, degrees, schedules, and more to encourage their students to stay enrolled, complete their programs, and graduate. One such offering is the learning community, a grouping of incoming students into cohorts with…

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between two content formats of the basic communication course (BCC) and first-year college student retention over a 4-year period (N = 5,653). Chi-square and logistic regression models indicated students who completed the BCC were more likely to be retained than those who did not complete the BCC.…

The purpose of this study was to identify ways that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state of Mississippi could provide better financial support to African-American college students that were raised in rural areas. This research also explained why the retention rate of African-American college students declined, while…

Millions of undergraduate students have been identified as parents across the United States. Of those millions, a majority have been identified as undergraduate students of Color who are pregnant, parenting, frequently underrepresented, and often not equitably supported toward degree completion. The purpose of the qualitative single-site case…

This study explored student success practices of select community colleges as implemented during students' pre- and post-matriculation periods and whether those colleges have united them into a cohesive design. The pre- and post-matriculation timeframe has been identified as the most critical segment of the student's academic career (Acevedo-Gil…

When attending predominately residential universities, commuter students are the minority and typically have poorer outcomes than residential peers. Research demonstrates commuter students identify factors impacting on their persistence and success, include time taken to commute, lack of social integration and a poor sense of belonging. In…

For-profit colleges and universities have gained considerable popularity over the last two decades due to an increase in non-traditional student enrollment, a rise in the availability of federal aid and student loans, and a proliferation of online courses (Cellini, 2021; Domnisoru & Schiopu, 2021). Despite increased interest in online programs…

The problem addressed in this study was the high attrition rates among first-generation college students (FGCS) in online doctoral programs within the first three years of enrollment. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological research was to explore the lived experiences of FGCS who completed an online doctoral program. Guided…

Steeped in the AsianCrit theoretical framework, the current study examined how anti-Asian hate impacted the mental health of Asian and diasporic Asian doctoral women in STEM. Six emergent themes were identified: 1) Witnessing and Experiencing Anti-Asian Hate; 2) Lack of Institutional and STEM Departmental Support; 3) Impact of Anti-Asian Hate on…

Identifying approaches that make science and engineering education broader and more inclusive is core to discipline based education research. Both fundamental and applied research are important in advancing a STEM education that retains the necessary scientists of the U.S.'s future. Thus, the major goal of this work was to evaluate and describe…

This exploratory, mixed-method study examines the role of identity-based student organizations in supporting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) spectrum minority students in higher education. Through convenience sampling, 44 participants were surveyed. Open coding revealed four key themes influencing student engagement: community…

Background: Although most engineering colleges offer a variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities to enrich students' sense of belonging to the college, existing literature has not fully captured whether and how the various activities serve to support students' sense of belonging and predict student outcomes. Purpose: We investigated…

Much of the prior literature on Black men's persistence at predominately white institutions (PWIs) focuses on the various barriers (i.e., underrepresentation, anti-Black men discrimination) they encounter that negatively impact their degree completion efforts, as well as how these men use strategies, personal strengths, and resources to navigate…

This study aimed to illuminate the perceptions of whether higher education support services function as a barrier or conduit to Black male undergraduate students' academic persistence. The relationship between 13 Black male undergraduate students and their higher education institutions was examined. The researcher proposed a model of qualitative…