Many college students exhibit symptoms related to social anxiety disorder (SAD); however, they were not addressed or diagnosed until college. College counseling centers are experiencing an increased number of students with SAD. College students with SAD often experience failing grades, have limited social interaction with peers, and lack…

The purpose of this research study was to understand the lived experiences of international students on a higher education campus in the U.S. post-pandemic and uncover barriers they encounter navigating their academic programs. Twelve students from 9 different countries were the participants. The main finding of this phenomenological study is that…

This study collected information on the professional development of 177 senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at higher education institutions in the United States. The purpose of the study was to identify the professional development activities that these SSAOs engaged in to prepare for the role and the perceived effectiveness of those…

Catholic institutions of higher education have continued to operate at a crossroads as challenges to long-term financial sustainability have intensified the need to reduce costs and increase revenue. Institutional personnel must find ways to streamline offerings in academic programs and student services while maintaining a commitment to their…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the relationship between a One-Stop Shop unit and student retention rates at Texas public and private higher education institutions. This study entitled "Exploring the Relationship between a One-Stop Shop and Student Retention" seeks to explore the unit in which brings together the…

This study examined how midlevel leaders in Student Affairs make meaning of their supervision practice. Semistructured interviews were conducted with seven midlevel supervisors throughout various higher education institutions in the United States. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify themes. Four…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to higher education institutions, especially for staffing. Internal interim appointments were used to fill gaps in the administrative ranks. Literature emphasizes that interim leaders often serve during periods of uncertainty, crisis, and change. The purpose of this study was to explore the motivation(s)…

Resident assistants are at the front line of crisis management within college campus residence halls. As such, it is imperative that student affairs professionals consider the specific needs of this paraprofessional group and build networks to guide these student leaders through the traumatic occurrences to which they respond through their roles.…

The "First-Generation CORE Project: Cultivating Opportunities, Resources, & Equity" was designed to better understand and support first-generation college students. First-generation college students are defined as individuals whose parents have not yet attained a four-year college degree and are considered an underrepresented student…

To better inform key stakeholders in student affairs divisions, an investigation was conducted to determine whether student affairs perceptions of assessment culture varied according to years of experience in higher education. A quantitative study was conducted to determine whether years of experience in higher education have any effect on the…

This study examined the espoused values of an institution whose mission calls for a focus and promotion of social justice and how that institution supports its staff's development of a competency focused on social justice and inclusion. It examined the intersection of social justice and inclusion competence, early-career staff development, and…

A program of specialized and targeted support for justice-impacted students at Our University does not currently exist. This study sought to uncover the needs, challenges, and strengths of justice-impacted students and to determine what our student experience team members needed to know and have available to them to best support this emerging…

This dissertation applied an extended version of Cropanzano et al.'s (2017) theoretical framework, integrating affective events theory with leader-member exchange theory, incorporating leadership self-efficacy and workplace satisfaction. It investigated challenges of peer supervisory relationships among eight head resident advisors at a small…

The transitional experience from the military into higher education can pose unique challenges to student veterans, especially for those who seek to obtain professional licensure in nursing. This action research study sought to identify and understand these challenges. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 were student veterans entering…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how ten student veterans persist after entering private, 4-year institutions of higher education during or following their military service. The study's conceptual framework, drawing from Vacchi's Model of Student Veteran Support (2011, 2013), employs a narrative approach to spotlight the…