While postsecondary education appears to promote civic mindedness and engagement, relatively little is known about the association between civic outcomes and types of postsecondary education, as well as across different academic programs. Using a convenience sample from two postsecondary education institutions in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., this…

Learning about evolution is a foundational part of biology education, but most current studies that explore college student evolution education are conducted at universities. However, community college students tend to be more diverse in characteristics shown to be related to evolution education outcomes. To explore how studies involving…

Early college high school (ECHS) and dual enrollment programs offer opportunities for students to work toward their 2-year degree while still in high school. The problem for this study was that the ECHS and dual enrollment programs had not been compared to see if they facilitated 2-year college degree completion compared to one another and to a…

The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technology offers promising solutions to underserved populations in the United States. AI tools can reduce college access and academic barriers for low-income students, first-generation college students, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and students living in rural areas.…

Using a phenomenological approach, we examined the sense of belonging for first-generation Latino men enrolled in a developmental mathematics course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The focus was on faculty-student interactions that fostered a sense of belonging. Data were collected through individual, semistructured interviews. Participants…

Existing research demonstrates gender- and race/ethnicity-based inequities in college outcomes. Separately, recent research suggests a relationship between time poverty and college outcomes for student parents and online students. However, to date, no studies have empirically explored whether differential access to time as a resource for college…

A college education can represent a path toward a stable career, social and health benefits, or upward mobility for students. However, a large proportion of students who enroll in college fail to complete a degree. Despite the potential benefits of a college education, students encounter a number of barriers to college success. In this…

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…

International students contribute significantly to the diversity and financial well-being of U.S. higher education institutions. These students often experience mistreatment while they are rarely described as a marginalized group in need of inclusive accommodation. This quantitative study investigates perceptions of threat and sense of belonging,…

Transfer students are typically a small proportion of the entering undergraduate classes at selective 4-year colleges. Most first-generation and limited income students start their college trajectories at community colleges. This project aims to address that gap through a partnership as a research team of members representing a selective college…

This qualitative research study explores student perceptions of how they build relationships with faculty, including factors that facilitate or undermine these relationships. Building such relationships is an important part of mentoring. Interviews with students reveal the importance of both innovative institutional supports and faculty…

Student employment has become widespread across many European countries, eliciting the question of how working while studying affects student retention. Previous research mostly agrees that it does by arguing that firstly, students who work long hours (i.e. more than 10 h per week) are more likely to leave university early, and also shows that…

This Perspective builds on a related RAND Corporation report that describes the implementation of Findhelp at four North Carolina community colleges in 2021 and 2022. Findhelp is an online tool to connect students to resources in their communities to help meet their basic nonacademic needs. The North Carolina Community College System, with support…

This causal comparative study examined group differences in college readiness using the "Redefining Ready" college readiness indicators for rural community college students. Additional analysis focused on evidence supporting a high school experience, or combination of high school experiences, that most accurately correlates with academic…

Second-term general chemistry is a key gateway course at our institution for a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. Herein, we examine data on DFW% (i.e., % of D and F grades and withdrawals) in our general chemistry courses over roughly a quarter-century period, focusing on sections taught by the authors.…