Residential schools for indigenous students are rarely conceptualised as "castles of hope," but because of the difficulty of providing quality education in rural areas, they remain an option, or a necessity, for many indigenous students. Although most contemporary residential schools differ from those that purposefully sought to…

In this book, the authors bring together in one place essential information about college students in the US in the 21st century. Synthesizing existing research and theory, they present an introduction to studying student characteristics, college choice and enrollment patterns, institutional types and environments, student learning, persistence,…

Using intersectionality as a framework, we examined how queer Students of Color at historically white institutions explored and made meaning of their intersecting identities in college. This research employed constructivist grounded theory to understand how 20 queer Collegians of Color at various HWIs explained the process of identity exploration…

Theoretical modeling has been a widely used tool in the student persistence literature for many years; however, only recently has it been applied to the Historical Black College or University (HBCU) context in an intentional way. We investigated a theory of student persistence in commuter institutions at 2 commuter HBCUs (N = 147 students).…

Young people now more than ever live in a diverse, complicated world. In spite of the qualitative proliferation of differences, however, the current social situation in late-stage capitalism is articulated as superficial multiculturalism. Critically examining how bodies materially experience cultural boundaries is then important for enhancing the…

Using data from the Wabash National Study, authors examine how students' perceptions of campus climate influence growth in students' social and political activism. The goal of this article is to determine to what extent, if any, students' perceptions of the campus environment affect their orientation toward social/political activism over 4 years…

Despite the importance of religion in many college students' lives, little is known about how religious affiliation is associated with student growth and development. This study examines the relationship between college students' religious affiliations and well-being using a longitudinal sample of 14,527 students at 136 institutions. Analyses show…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), launched in 2000 and updated in 2013, documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent…

This study explores the association of students' self-perceived critical thinking ability with participation in Residential Honors living-learning programs versus Civic/Social Leadership living-learning programs and non-participation in living-learning programs. The study analyzes data from the 2004 National Study of Living-Learning Programs…

This article reports the effects of program characteristics and faculty activities on students' experiences and, ultimately, the development of students' analytical and group skills. Data come from nationally representative samples of 4,330 seniors, 1,243 faculty members, and 147 engineering program chairs on 40 campuses nationwide. Findings…

Based on existing data about colleges and universities and their students, a study examined the factors in the college environment that contribute to or inhibit students' character development. Results indicate that colleges that take character-building seriously invest significant human and financial resources. A six-step agenda outlines what…

The effects of living on campus on educational gains were estimated for a sample of African American college students. This study also examined the effects of specific residence hall experiences on African American students' educational gains in college. Controlling for an extensive array of demographic characteristics, institutional…

The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) documents dimensions of quality in legal education and provides information about law student participation in effective educational activities that law schools and other organizations can use to improve student learning. This paper presents select findings from the 2007 survey administration,…

This article illustrates the evolution of the concept of student development in the higher education and student affairs literature. The current status of this concept is presented in a framework of 14 propositions as an agenda for scholars and practitioners in the field. (97 references) (Author/RB)

This article evaluates the concept of student development from the perspective of the adequacy of its theoretical knowledge base and with reference to the 14 specific propositions about student development identified by Strange (1994). (71 references) (Author/RB)