Education Commons^™

Measuring The Success Of Metropolitan And Nonmetropolitan Students At A Nonmetropolitan University, Janelle Taylor

All NMU Master's Theses

Nonmetropolitan students in higher education are an understudied population. This thesis uses data from the freshman class of 2011 at a mid-sized nonmetropolitan university to examine the success of nonmetro students at a nonmetro university. The data studied addresses the similarities and dissimilarities between metro and nonmetro students in the cohort in a number of categories: student location of origin, time to degree completion, whether a degree was attained, grade point average of graduating students, type of degree sought, and type of degree attained. Differences were found in the success rates of metro and nonmetro students at the institution. There …

Building Belonging: The Impact Of Physical Space On Student Sense Of Belonging In Student Leadership, Involvement, And Changemaking At The University Of San Diego, Madeline Kreig

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this research is to understand how the structure of the Student Leadership, Involvement, and Changemaking (SLIC) space influences students’ sense of belonging. This study uses Mills’ (2000) Dialectic Action Research Spiral in conjunction with surveys, interviews, and focus groups to explore the questions: How does the structure of the Student Leadership, Involvement, and Changemaking space influence undergraduate students’ sense of belonging? Also, how can I, as a student affairs practitioner, enhance students’ sense of belonging in the SLIC?

In the context of this study, sense of belonging refers to the extent that one feels accepted, respected, included, …

Underrepresented Student Involvement With The Office Of Sustainability, Jelitsa Fonseca

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to further understand the disconnect between sustainability efforts and the underrepresented student population at the University of San Diego (USD). One of the main concerns of this study is why underrepresented students are not getting involved in sustainability activities on campus, and whether or not that is due to being a minority on campus, which may impact how they choose to get involved in these efforts. The main research questions are: How can I help the Office of Sustainability at USD reach out to underrepresented students who may have stigmas and/or stereotypes towards sustainability? …

Self Efficacy, Sense Of Belonging, And Sense Of Obligation In First Generation College Students, Bridgett Hernandez

Psychology | Senior Theses

First generation college (FGC) students are people whose parents didn’t earn a college degree (Stebleton, Soria, & Huesman, 2014). FGC students may come from marginalized backgrounds, which may limit or hinder their higher education experience (Nuñez, 2009). Self-efficacy is necessary for FGC students to surpass the challenges they face, as those who feel less capable don’t continue the pursuit of higher education. FGC students may feel like their demographics or the challenges they face are magnified by the salient stereotypes of their group identification (Wout, Danso, Jackson, & Spencer, 2008), which could then make them feel like they don’t belong …

Exploring African American Students’ Perceptions Of Belonging At An Urban Community College In The Western United States, Sylinda Nicole Gordon Musaindapo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

African American students’ perceptions of belonging impact their experiences on community college campuses and in their local communities. This research study explores the impact of gentrification on a group of resilient African American college students in an urban community college located in the western region of the United States. Participants used negative experiences with onlyness and otherness as opportunities to build community for other African Americans.