Many of the conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education rightly focus on the experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and how to support them on their educational journey. Fewer of the conversations involve naming and interrogating the oppressive systems that cause these students to need…

This research builds upon scholarship of critical theorists and critical whiteness studies. The "invisibility" of whiteness has been increasingly acknowledged and attended to in counseling psychology. Further, prominent scholars have continuously urged the field of counseling psychology to acknowledge race as a psychological…

This post-intentional phenomenological study grounded in Critical Whiteness Studies explored the lived experiences with whiteness, the post-intentional phenomenon, of white international graduate students from Europe. The study was guided by an overarching research question with two sub-questions. Data collection included three separate…

Research has shown that nationally, there is a difference in school discipline rates for minority students compared to White students (Anyone et.al, 2021; Wiley, 2021). Black and Brown students have higher rates of exclusionary school discipline, like in-school and out of school suspension, and receive more strict consequences for the same…

In the state of South Carolina, African American students make up 34% of the student population but 59% of students receive out-of-school suspension. It was assumed by prior research statistics that the disproportionality of discipline produces lower academic achievement for African American students. An examination of the disproportionality of…

The purpose of this quantitative two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post hoc descriptive comparative study was to investigate the effects of out-of-school suspension (OSS) on the academic performance of African American and White middle school male students. The SC READY in English/Language Arts (ELA) assessment scores for the school…

This study examined how White, female U.S. community and technical college educators develop and sustain an antiracist praxis. In the context of this study, antiracist praxis was defined as the ability for White educators to engage in consistent cycles of critical self-reflection about race and demonstrating antiracist actions. Semi-structured…

This study investigated educational disparities among Black/African American and White/Caucasian high school students, with a focus on their perceptions of educational opportunities and factors contributing to disparities. Utilizing qualitative research methods, this study explored students' perspectives on academic success, influencing factors,…

This constructivist grounded theory study conceptualized how White women educated at Jesuit colleges and universities and engaged in racial justice ally behavior developed their identities as White women and racial justice allies. Nine participants from six different Jesuit universities engaged with the researcher through two interviews and a…

First-generation college students (FGCS) comprise of over half of the U.S. higher education student population, yet have considerably lower academic attainment rates compared to non-FGCS. Research has explored challenges that may attribute to these academic disparities, however, there remains a critical gap in identifying FGCS assets that may…

This dissertation sought to interrogate the ways in which White, rural students from West Virginia conceptualized diversity before, during, and since their transition to a large PWI in their home state. Using Critical Whiteness Studies and intersectionality as driving theory, student participants and I engaged in deconstruction of privilege…

This study investigated the relationship between stress, resilience, and personality types by using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 25), and the Big Five Inventory (BFI). These measures were used to help identify the relationship between stress and resilience. They were also used to investigate the…

This dissertation explores how White undergraduate student leaders in formal, institutional leadership positions perceive the influence of race within their roles. With 18 participants and utilizing participant-generated photo-elicitation, focus groups, and participant narratives, this study revealed that White student leaders often adopted a…

This quantitative, multiple time-series, correlational and quasi-experimental study examined the impact gratitude journaling had on the subjective happiness of high school students. In total, 85 student participants were stratified by grade and course before being assigned to a control group (n = 27) or treatment group the treatment group (n =…

The purpose of this non-experimental correlational quantitative study was to examine the relationship between race and special education under the disability category of ED for kindergarten through 12th-grade students in four school districts in the greater Houston area. The study had three research questions regarding racial representation, the…