Education Commons^™

Students’ Re-Imaginations Of The Future Of Higher Education In Cameroon, Etta Mercy Aki, Nguehan Simeon Boris, Echari Lisa Ebenwei

Educational Considerations

The unprecedented changes in our society are re-shaping the future of higher education; therefore, re-imagining the future of higher education is a constructive process of development. This study is aimed at exploring the re-imaginations of students in higher education from their own analysis of their previous and current experiences at three key stages: before entry, participation, and graduation. This exploratory study collected qualitative data from 68 current students through synchronous online focused group discussions. Analysis revealed that students’ experiences position higher education in Cameroon as invisible at lower levels, providing limited opportunities and promoting dependency upon graduation. However, they hope …

"I'M Thankful Every Day I Did It": An Exploration Of Belonging For Commuter Students In Historically White Sororities And Fraternities At Primarily Commuter Public Institutions, Michael D. Giacalone

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Membership in historically White sororities and fraternities (HWSF) has been connected with sense of belonging (Cohen et al., 2017; McCreary & Schutts, 2015). The experience of commuter students in sororities and fraternities, however, has been largely overlooked, including an understanding of what belonging consists of as members. This phenomenological study sought to close that gap by exploring how commuter students in HWSF experienced belonging at primarily commuter public institutions through interviews with alumni who lived that experience. Three themes emerged from the data: personal connections, feeling welcomed and accepted, and transformation of the college experience.

Book Review: Pietro A. Sasso, J. Patrick Biddix, & Mónica Lee Miranda. (2020). Supporting Fraternities And Sororities In The Contemporary Era: Advancements In Practice. Myers Education Press., Shanté C. Hearst, Kevin J. Bazner Jr.

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Anyone serving as a campus-based fraternity/sorority advisor can attest to the complexity of navigating roles as advocate, advisor, change agent, and more. Further, the storied histories and contemporary challenges facing fraternity/ sorority life (FSL) and higher education professionals is increasingly demanding. The authors of Supporting Fraternities and Sororities in the Contemporary Era: Advancements in Practice present a much needed updated reference text examining the multiple facets FSL and other higher education professionals must be attuned to in supporting students involved in FSL organizations. Appropriately, the editors acknowledge FSL is filled with contradictions fostering positive and negative opportunities for student development …

Letter From The Editor: Development As A Pillar Of Oracle, James P. Barber

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Development as a Pillar of Oracle

James P. Barber, Ph.D.

March 2022

Differences In Informal Alcohol Protective Behavior Strategies Between Fraternity & Sorority Members, Jaime L. Myers, Pietro A. Sasso

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Institutional interventions and formal policies designed to reduce alcohol misuse among fraternity and sorority members have been largely unsuccessful. However, informal policies to address alcohol use concerns can also develop within this subculture. This qualitative multi-case phenomenological study examined the informal policies chapters adopt to reduce risks associated with drinking. Findings suggested considerable informal policy development, which varies between fraternities and sororities. Sorority groups implemented more protective behavior strategies for members’ safety, whereas fraternities often focus on monitoring outside groups. Implications for practice suggest a combination of risk and harm-reduction approaches that facilitate peer-led protective behavioral strategies.

Sustainability Of Community Engagement At Institutions Of Higher Education: A Look At Compassion Fatigue And The College Student Mental Health Crisis, Katherine A. Chiu, Briana G. Craig, Naomi L. Rabago

VA Engage Journal

This study investigated one of the many factors contributing to the sustainability of community engagement efforts at institutions of higher education. Extensive literature shows that burnout and compassion fatigue disproportionately affect those in caring roles and helping professions. Moreover, studies have found significant correlations between levels of burnout and compassion fatigue and the likelihood of human error, which directly affects the safety and long-term outcomes of people within their care. However, there is still limited exploration of how these phenomena may manifest, and similarly, cause unintentional harm to vulnerable populations, in the context of student community engagement efforts. This paper …

Junior Faculty Advising For Effective Student Growth And Academic Success: A Qualitative Study, Noreen Powers, Russell Wartalski

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

Supporting the academic advising needs of adult learners is paramount for colleges and universities. Research suggests that the faculty advisor's role is pivotal in students' academic progress. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, faculty advisors are tasked with supporting adult learners in achieving their professional goals and providing resources to ensure their academic success. Specifically, they help students navigate curriculum requirements and provide support both inside and outside the classroom. The tasks and responsibilities associated with faculty advising can vary based on the institution type and program needs. However, junior faculty who take on advising responsibilities at regional public …

The Rise In Use Of Emotional Support Animals By College Students: The Impact Of Parenting Styles, Misty G. Smith, Samantha Ballard, Jill Willis

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs

As the generational context of higher education shifts, a rise of Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and mental health concerns are present for students on college campuses. While previous studies have aimed to address the relevancy and controversy of ESAs in higher education as well as their effectiveness in supporting individuals, less research has explored underlying factors that contribute to the use of an ESA. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting behaviors of parents/caregivers of students with ESAs in comparison to parents/caregivers of students without ESAs. An embedded mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Parenting …

International Students’ Transition To A Rural State Comprehensive University, Phillip A. Olt, Bingbing Tao

Teacher-Scholar: The Journal of the State Comprehensive University

International students face challenges as they transition to higher education in the United States. In this article, we explore that transition process when it intersects with an institution in a rural setting. We used Schlossberg’s transition theory—with a particular emphasis on the 4Ss of situation, self, support, and strategies—as the theoretical framework for this case study, and we found that the situation for international students in this transition was fraught with concurrent stressors of isolation, food, and safety. While their sense of self included a strong desire to experience United States culture and language, they struggled apart from familiar support …

An Education In Sexuality & Sociality: Heteronormativity On Campus, Jason K. Wallace

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

In An Education in Sexuality & Sociality: Heteronormativity on Campus, Dr. Frank Karioris discusses the role of universities in creating sexed and gendered relationships and hierarchies within society. Through his ethnographic study, Dr. Karioris explores homosociality and challenges heteronormativity on college campuses. This book review provides an overview of this work along with critique and implication for higher education.

“You’Re Not Like Everyone Else”: Sexual Orientation Microaggressions At A Catholic University, Bryce E. Hughes

Journal of Catholic Education

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer students at Catholic colleges and universities face a campus climate rife with sexual orientation microaggressions, subtle or covert expressions of hostility the impact from which can compound over time. In this case study, I draw from interviews with 14 students, 12 faculty, and 6 staff members from one Catholic university their experiences with microaggressions. Participants indicated that sexual orientation microaggressions were common on their campus, like other colleges and universities, and the university did not have a systematic method for addressing this problem. The Catholic affiliation of the university shaped microaggressions uniquely, especially in instances …

Cognitive Factors In Higher Education Students: Goals, Mindset, And Internalized Motivation, Mary Kovach

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

This manuscript demonstrates the value of understanding three cognitive factors in higher education. These three cognitive factors (i.e. goals, mindset, and internalized motivation) provide educators with the ability to enhance academic outcomes and to motivate students towards achievement. Each cognitive factor is dissected and applied to students in the higher education classroom. Additionally, research is presented to create a motivational atmosphere, specifically within the classroom environment, that will improve student mindset and develop stronger academic goals for students. Lastly, this manuscript proposes suggestions for future research that will contribute to the findings of the overall construct of motivation in an …

Surviving Domestic Violence And Navigating The Academy: An Autoethnography, Robert L. Hill

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

This autoethnography takes a critical view of my experiences surviving domestic violence while navigating the university’s resources to support survivors as well as my academic life. I turn to Spade’s (2015) critical trans politics in order to complicate the notion of higher education structures as neutral and to question who benefits from existing domestic violence survivor support programs and procedures. Guided by Nash’s (2004) guidelines for scholarly personal narrative, I tell my story of surviving in five parts, beginning with initial conversations and continuing with processes of surviving, leaving home, mandatory reporting, and (not) learning. Throughout the narrative, I analyze …

Promoting Transition To Postsecondary Education: Creating Opportunities For Social Change, J. Christopher Linscott, Carey Busch

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Multiple studies document that students with disabilities participate at significantly lower rates than their peers without disabilities in post-secondary education, post-school employment, independent living, and community participation. This article exposits a program model at Ohio University, Gateway to Success, which addresses this inequity through a combined effort of various stakeholders. Particular consideration is given to evidence based predictors related to post-school success, the need for intervention, and the social justice implications of increased participation in post-secondary education for students with disabilities.

The Face Of An Intergenerational Community In Higher Education, Narketta N. Myles

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

With a rapidly growing non-traditional student population in higher education, institutions must begin to reshape much of their framework in how to serve a diverse population of students. With this diversifying of perspective, the older adult student must be given due consideration as an underrepresented student population. As we begin to consider this population of underrepresented students, we must examine the barriers and discrimination that older adults face, and the difficulties colleges encounter attempting to serve this population. Then as administrators, student affairs professionals, and faculty we must support initiatives of inclusion and equity that best serve these students.

Who Wrote The Books: A History Of The History Of Student Affairs, Anna L. Patton

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

This historiography offers a critique of the common narrative of student affairs history by considering the ways in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. Student affairs professionals and scholars are regularly engaged in reflection on current practices, trends, and concerns within the field; however, it is equally important to continue looking back into our professional history. In this paper, I employ a process of historiography to critique the way in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. A historiography seeks to tell the history of …

In Our Time: Advancing Interfaith Studies Curricula At Catholic Colleges And Universities, Eboo Patel, Noah Silverman, Kristi Del Vecchio

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

People who orient around religion differently are interacting with greater frequency than ever before. These interactions, especially in the context of college and university campuses, require young people to grapple with their own identities in ways that previous generations could more easily avoid. Conversations about religious diversity have become elevated at colleges and universities, which has led Drs. Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen to claim that religion is “no longer invisible” in the context of American higher education.

As an organization that works with hundreds of American colleges and universities every year, Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) believes that Catholic …

What's In An Ally? Closing Gaps In Lgbtq+ Support, Laura Gentner

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

This study will explore the relationship between LGBTQ+ identifying students’ expectations of and experiences with allies, and their perceptions of campus climate. LGBTQ+ ally training programs and visibility of LGBTQ+ allies contribute to both campus climate and LGBTQ+ students’ perceptions of that climate, leading to more positive and healthy college experiences. However, it is not clear that current practice in training and educating allies truly reflects the needs of LGBTQ+ identifying students.

While research is available for the design and implementation of ally training programs, there is little to no research on what LGBTQ+ identifying students expect of allies, nor …

Student Unrest: From Historic Infamy To Humane Inclusivity, Matthew Cooney, Kenneth Borland

Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education

Infamous responses to historic student unrest clash with contemporary student affairs educators’ desire for a humane, inclusive approach to student unrest. The authors detail two historic responses: the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre at the Universidad Autónoma de México and the 1970 Kent State University shootings.

Like today, students expressed escalating dissatisfaction with social conditions and displeasure with official responses. To not repeat unrest becoming violence, authors introduce concepts for humanely and inclusively responding to student unrest.

Who Wrote The Books: A History Of The History Of Student Affairs, Anna L. Patton

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

This historiography offers a critique of the common narrative of student affairs history by considering the ways in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. Student affairs professionals and scholars are regularly engaged in reflection on current practices, trends, and concerns within the field; however, it is equally important to continue looking back into our professional history. In this paper, I employ a process of historiography to critique the way in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. A historiography seeks to tell the history of …

Dear Officer Bogash: Policing Black Bodies On College Campuses, Jordan S. West

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Students' Critical Reflections on Racial (in)justice

Challenging The Utility Of A Racial Microaggressions Framework Through A Systematic Review Of Racially Biased Incidents On Campus, Gina A. Garcia, Marc P. Johnston-Guerrero

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Despite claims of being in a “postracial” era, racially biased incidents pervade college and university campuses across the U.S., as evidenced in the continual media coverage of such incidents. In recognizing the complexities of these incidents, we sought to offer a contemporary review of racially biased incidents on college and university campuses and to explore the extent to which they represent covert forms of racial microaggressions versus more overt forms of racism. We conducted a content analysis of all news-making racially biased incidents that occurred on college and university campuses between August 1, 2005 and May 1, 2010, identifying 205 …

Journey Into Shame: Implications For Justice Pedagogies, Roger C. Bergman

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

Being formed for justice can be a painful experience. Sometimes that pain takes the form of shame and contributes to the formation and exercise of conscience. But shame in other forms can be opposed to human flourishing and social justice. Psychologist James Fowler provides a spectrum of two forms of healthy shame and four forms of unhealthy shame, to which the author adds four other varieties, strategic shame and spiritual shame, at one end of the spectrum, and murderous shame and genocidal shame, at the other. Various experiences of shame are dramatically illustrated in Black Like Me, John Howard …

An Automatic Dialog System For Student Advising, Brian Mcmahan

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Automatic dialog systems are an implementation of natural language processing theory with the goal of allowing the use of natural sentences to communicate with a computer system. The general purpose of this project was to design and implement an automatic dialog system for augmenting university student advising. Student advising is a relatively narrow domain of possible questions and responses. The automatic dialog system focused on prescriptive advising rather than developmental advising to further narrow the domain to scheduling and registration matters. A student advisor was interviewed and recorded during a mock advising session in order to model the interaction between …

The Perceived Value Of Counselor Preparation For Student Affairs Professionals, Jake J. Protivnak, Matthew J. Paylo, J. Carol Mercer

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Student affairs programs share a common goal of developing master’s level professionals for employment in higher education. Approximately one-third of student affairs training programs are counseling-based and half of those programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). However, there is a lack of literature regarding the preparation of student affairs professionals trained in counseling programs and the importance of counselor training to the student affairs profession. Based upon a review of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education Professional Standards, CACREP standards, and other related research, this article will …

Retaining Students Of Color: The Office Of Ahana Student Programs At Boston College, Donald Brown

Trotter Review

On September 1, 1978, I assumed responsibility for what was then known as the Office of Minority Student Programs at Boston College. The charge given to me was to alter an embarrassingly high attrition rate of 83 percent for a target group of black and Latino students who had been identified by the university's Admissions Office as having high levels of motivation and potential, but who would require assistance if they were to succeed at the university.

Over the course of the past sixteen years, a great deal has transpired at Boston College. An important change was made in the …