Students with disabilities are entering higher education at higher rates than ever before. However, the retention rates of these students are disproportionately low compared to peers without disabilities. More so, students with learning disabilities are less likely to be retained compared to those with other types of disabilities. This study…

The purpose of this study is to examine first-generation (FG) Latinas lived experiences and how they successfully navigate their roles as higher education professional staff. FG Latina professional staff were interviewed to understand how their identities as Latinas impact them in their higher education careers. Chicana Feminism (Delgado Bernal,…

This dissertation investigates the relationship between ethnicity and place among 44 young adult Latino English speakers in the state of Georgia using a mixed-methods approach. While varieties of Latino English have been studied in traditional destination communities (TDCs) like Texas, California, or New York, where the Latino populations are…

As institutions face uncertainty in enrollment projections due to changing demographics, the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and stagnant high school graduation rates, focusing on improving student retention is important. Enrollment management models provide opportunities to assess the effectiveness of enrollment strategies and make…

The purpose of this study was to examine what influence, if any, input and environmental variables have on students' initial sense of belonging within the first 3 weeks of their community college experience. Using Strayhorn's model of students' initial sense of belonging and Astin's student involvement theory, data from the 2018-2020 Survey of…

It is particularly important to identify and address issues of fairness and equity in educational contexts as academic performance can have large impacts on the types of opportunities that are made available to students. While it is always the hope that educators approach student assessment with these issues in mind, there are a number of factors…

A new American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) report summarizes the challenges that community colleges faced during the COVID pandemic as well as their responses. It covers a broad area, including enrollment declines, the equity agendas, pandemic excellence and partnerships, and the changing landscape and competition.

This study investigated the extent to which adolescents' personal normative attitudes (also referred to as personal norms) and perceived peer norms regarding bullying, sexual harassment, and bystander intervention predicted each step of the five-step bystander intervention model (i.e., Notice, Interpret, Accept Responsibility, Know how to Help,…

This dissertation examines the school-level impacts on student achievement in the state of Pennsylvania from the economic inputs provided to students and schools. I conduct a comprehensive review of prior literature on Pennsylvania education funding, the issue of equity versus adequacy, academic spending per pupil, and teacher compensation, as…

As teachers engage with what is taught, rather than a sense of the distribution of inert knowledge, there can be a feeling that the "what" is moving and adapting with them. This is especially true when teachers are working with topics like anti-Black racism. The what being taught, or the curriculum-as-a-whole has been analyzed by cutting…

The success of the inclusion of students with disabilities substantially depends on the collaboration of various social agents, including non-disabled peers, who play a substantial role in the lives of students with disabilities. Peers, as social agent, are responsible for the creation of a favourable social environment, in which one of the key…

A large proportion of adolescents experiencing depression never access treatment. To increase access to effective mental health care, it is critical to understand factors associated with increased versus decreased odds of adolescent treatment access. This study used individual depression symptoms and sociodemographic variables to predict…

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a radical lifestyle change, which may unintendedly change physical activity levels. We aimed to perform a systematic review to investigate the physical activity changes in people with neurological diseases, and to examine the relationship between physical activity and disease symptoms, and psychosocial factors. The…

Anxiety is an emotion that consists of worrisome thoughts, physical tension, and physiological arousal regarding the perceived potential of danger. College students have increasingly endorsed anxiety as a primary difficulty during the collegiate years. Due to this increase in anxiety and an increase in utilization of therapy services, the overall…

California Community Colleges (CCC) are the largest post-secondary higher education systems in the nation, with an enrollment of over 2 million at a given year. They are also the most affordable and accessible for students after completing K-12 education. With California having the largest Latinx residents (39%), they overwhelmingly makeup 45% of…