Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons^™

Time To Reassess: Campus Programming In The First Six Weeks And Its Impact On Belonging For First-Time Students, Joe Smith

Masters Theses

Research has shown that a student’s first six weeks of college have a strong impact on the rest of their college experience. Because of this, institutions concentrate programming efforts in the first six weeks of the academic year to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for their first-time students. However, little research has been done on this topic in recent years. This quantitative study sought to examine first-time student event attendance in the first six weeks of the academic year and its impact on sense of belonging, which has been shown to be an important factor of the college experience. …

The Impacts Of International Students’ Membership In Co-National Student Organizations, Krofaa Otuo-Srebour

Masters Theses

This study explores the impact of international students' membership in co-national student organizations on their adjustment to U.S. higher education institutions. Despite significant literature on the psychological predictors of adjustment, there is a gap in examining the social support gained through non-academic student organizations composed of individuals from the same country or region. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study investigated challenges international students face in the U.S. and how culturally specific groups impact their adjustment. The findings underscore the importance of co-national student organizations in supporting international students’ adjustment processes and suggest practical implications for university administrators to enhance …

Overcoming Burnout: Resident Assistant Longevity And Resilience, Amberlyn H. Holman

Masters Theses

As demands on student affairs professionals intensify across United States colleges, resident assistants face increasing vulnerability to burnout while balancing roles as students, employees, and peer leaders. The purpose of this narrative study was to examine the experiences of three resident assistants who pursued a third year in their position after experiencing and overcoming burnout. It was determined that specific support systems and resilience components had substantial impact on their ability to persist, providing indication of what institutional support would be most beneficial. Participants discussed experiences with overwhelming stress balancing academic responsibilities, peer relationships, and administrative duties, alongside factors historically …

Exploring The Experiences Of Collegiate Black Female Student-Athletes From A Phenomenological Perspective, Deja L. Jackson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Collegiate Black female student-athletes at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) face a unique experience as they navigate the complex intersections of race, gender, and sports while striving for academic and athletic success. Their encounters with racism, discrimination, and marginalization remain largely underexplored. This research provides findings from a transcendental phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences of these athletes. The goal was to understand how racism, discrimination, and marginalization impact these student-athletes both individually and in context sport. Grounded in social constructivism and informed by Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality Theory, the study involved semi-structured interviews with eight current and former …

A Framework For Strengthening The Quantitative Skills/Reasoning Support Ecosystem At Small Liberal Arts Colleges, Laura J. Muller, Melissa Eblen-Zayas Ph.D.

Numeracy

We developed a framework for characterizing an institution’s quantitative skills/reasoning support ecosystem to consider how various activities contribute to student success in areas connected to students’ quantitative preparation. Through discussions with faculty and staff stakeholders at eight selective small liberal arts colleges, we established that the quantitative skills/reasoning support ecosystem at these institutions consists of four domains: bridge programs with a quantitative component, assessment of readiness, curricular on-ramps, and supplementary support for courses that require quantitative skills/reasoning. The framework includes questions about each domain that can be used by stakeholders in different institutional positions to reflect on existing efforts to …

Creating A Space For Relaxation And Wellbeing At The University Of South Alabama, Mary Wolf

Honors Theses

A program to provide supplementary support for the mental health and wellness of students at a midsize Southern University by providing a centrally located “relaxation space” for students on campus during the last two weeks of the semester is proposed and tested. A central location was found on campus to host the space. The researcher also developed an online survey for students to review the space. The trial was run for two weeks, and participants were able to access the online survey throughout those weeks. The results of the survey were analyzed to better understand the students’ responses to the …

Resilient Students: Traumatic Experiences, Aces, And Resources That Influence University Students’ Perceptions Of First-Year College Adjustment, Audrey W. Besch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of understanding the impacts of trauma on individuals has shifted from a narrow focus on physical injuries to a multidimensional understanding of how trauma influences the development of psychological and emotional interactions. This evolving understanding has informed the implementation of trauma-informed practices and interventions across various sectors. Tennessee institutions of higher education recognize the connection between trauma, student success, and systemic interventions. University students who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences have heightened vulnerability to stressful events as they transition from high school to college, increasing the likelihood of lower educational attainment, higher drop-out rates, and higher rates of …

Study Abroad Angst: A Literature Review On The Mental Health Of International Students During Covid-19, Daisuke Akiba, Michael Perrone, Caterina Almendral

Publications and Research

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique and unprecedented challenges for international students, those studying at institutions of higher education outside of their home countries, due to their distinct circumstances and vulnerabilities. This literature review examines the multifaceted mental health burdens they experienced and highlights the need for targeted support and interventions. Methods: A rigorous search across three databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, and ERIC) yielded 50 empirical studies for inclusion in this literature review. A six-phase thematic analysis framework was employed to identify and synthesize key themes. Results: Seven prominent themes emerged: (1) academic and professional disruptions; (2) challenges navigating international …

Inaugural Message From The Editorial Board Of The Journal Of Faith Integration In Counseling, Lynn Bohecker, Vasti Holstun, Robyn Trippany Simmons, Ann Shillingford, Yulanda Tyre, Robin Switzer, Nivischi N. Edwards, Teshaunda L. Hannor-Walker, Kevin Boyd Hull, Lacey A. Ricks, Amy C. Rice

Journal of Faith Integration Counseling (JFIC)

The inaugural issue of the Journal of Faith Integration in Counseling introduces a platform dedicated to integrating faith, religion, and spirituality into mental health practices. Highlighted articles include the ACPE Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy (SIP) Training Program, a Buddhist approach to self-concept obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a model for recovery from infidelity in evangelical marriages. These contributions emphasize the importance of spiritual dimensions in counseling to improve client outcomes. The editorial board is committed to mentoring authors and fostering scholarly excellence, addressing a critical gap in existing publication options by offering practical approaches for faith integration in counseling.

Leading The Way: An Exploration Of Leadership Behaviors In Academic Advising, Amanda Bergeron-Bauer

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Academic advisors in higher education serve as more than a resource for planning classes. These student affairs professionals also assist with success plans, identifying career paths, connecting students with relevant campus resources, and working through academic and personal concerns. Over time, the field of academic advising has transitioned from a prescriptive form of advising that consisted primarily of transactional interactions to a hybrid approach that incorporates developmental advising or helping to develop the whole student. As institutions emphasize the importance of developmental advising on their campuses, it is necessary for academic advisors to expand their skill sets to better meet …

"Every Direction We Turn, It’S A Wall”: North Carolina School Counselors And Their Advocacy And Support For Undocumented Students’ Access To Higher Education, Wendy Eberhart Cook

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

High school counselors in North Carolina assist with post-secondary planning for all their students, including the approximately 3,000 undocumented students who graduate from North Carolina schools each year (Zong & Batalova, 2019). Access to post-secondary education is difficult to attain for undocumented students (Groce & Johnson, 2021), especially true for undocumented students in North Carolina, a state considered hostile to this student population due to tuition and financial aid policy (Mansfield & Hernandez, 2024). Undocumented students also face a fear of deportation, food insecurity, lower socioeconomic conditions, and language barriers (Abrego, 2006).

Despite the many barriers undocumented students face, school …

A Graceful Pedagogy: An Approach To Academic Advising Diffracted Through Love For Equitable Support Of Students Identifying As Black And Male At Two-Year Community Colleges, Ian Kelso Bodkin

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the concept of “a graceful pedagogy” as a framework for academic advising within two-year community colleges, with a focus on supporting students who identify as Black and male. Guided by an approach rooted in diffractive methodology and inspired by bell hooks’ principles of love and engaged pedagogy, the research examines how advisors can create meaningful, equitable, and supportive relationships that account for the unique realities faced by these students. Through consciousness-raising sessions, the study captures the complexities of advising as an emotional, relational, and transformative practice. Participants engaged in intra-active dialogues of diffraction uncovering the entanglements of …

Dr. Carter G. Woodson And Pedagogy In Education, Dorrance Kennedy, Terri Moore-Brown, Abraham Watson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Dr. Carter G Woodson was an African American historian, author, publisher, and activist. He is known as the Father of Black History. He was the second African American to receive a doctorate from Harvard University. He was the founder of the Journal of Negro Education and the Associated Publishers. He wrote many influential books, including The History of the Negro Church and The Miseducation of the Negro. He died in Washington, DC in 1950.

Developments In School Counselling Practice In Vietnam, Michael Hass, Hoang-Minh Dang

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This chapter will examine the development and status of school counselling in Vietnam. As part of that, we will discuss research on Vietnamese school children’s mental health and academic needs, the history of the development of school counselling and related professions in Vietnam, and the process of creating formal educational programs in school counselling. Lastly, we will discuss school counsellors’ distinct roles in Vietnam and how they relate to various stakeholders, including children, teachers, administrators, and parents. In addition, we will discuss a survey of practicing school counsellors (Hoang-Minh & Hass, 2023b) and interviews of program directors of university training …

Archetypal Energies And Global Mental Health, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

As a keynote speaker at the Global Mental Health Conference 2024, held at Sophia University, Costa Mesa, CA, in-person and virtually, August 16-18, 2024, my topic was "Archetypal Energies As A Framework for Self-Empowerment and Well Being". The theme of this 2024 global conference was: Enlightened Minds, Compassionate Hearts, and Embodied Wisdom. To supplement my keynote address, I wrote this blog article titled "Archetypal Energies and Global Mental Health".

No Longer Unseen Or Unheard: Exploring The Connectedness Of Campus Climate With Multiracial Students’ Experiences At Historically White Institutions In The United States, Christian Barrientos

All Dissertations

This qualitative research study will illustrate the link(s) between Multiracial students and their perceptions of campus climate at historically White institutions and how that impacts their sense of belonging. Existing bodies of literature and research have focused more extensively on monoracial students of color than Multiracial students. As a result, there is a formidable gap in the literature about how Multiracial students navigate their racial identity at historically White institutions and how multiracial students perceive campus climate based on their experienced sense of belonging. The use of Kellogg and Liddell (2012) will serve as a guide for this research study. …

Why Researchers Need To Hear Practitioners’ Voices: A Call To Action, David Wolff, Donna Zerr, Carissa Gober

Essays in Education

Educators play a crucial role in shaping student learning experiences. Practitioners engage in scholarly inquiry daily in classrooms and educational settings. Scholarly inquiry varies based on context and student needs. By viewing classrooms as research labs, educators can foster curiosity and develop research. It is the goal of this article to encourage educators to engage in The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by formalizing their insights into publishable writings.

Perspectives Of College Students With Disabilities Regarding Their High School Transition Experience: Notes For High School Transition Planning, Lindsay Hartzler, Kitty Dong, Andrew Johnson Kliethermes, Kaitlyn Sandheinrich, Mark Wheatley

Dissertations

Students with disabilities face many challenges as they transition to postsecondary education. These students are often unprepared for the rigor of postsecondary academics; they often lack self-efficacy skills and have limited awareness of postsecondary supports or cannot successfully access them. This study aims to give voice to college students with disabilities to inform practices of high school personnel involved with transition and higher education professionals supporting them. Using Kohler’s Transition Taxonomy 2.0 (2016), researchers sought to study the perspectives of eleven college students on their high school transition experiences in the areas of academic preparedness, self-advocacy skills, and experiences with …

An Exploration Of The Mentoring Experiences Of Ethnically Diverse Women Faculty At An Hbcu: A Qualitative Case Study, Tonya M. Brown, Ruth Boyd

Journal of Research Initiatives

This qualitative case study explored the professional and personal growth benefits for women faculty who engage in mentoring relationships at a historically black college or university (HBCU). Data were collected using one-on-one interviews with full- and part-time women faculty members who served as research participants. The participants provided data about their experiences with mentoring, including details such as the frequency of their meetings with mentoring partners, the preferred method of communication, and the areas of support resulting from the mentoring relationship. Findings indicated that mentoring relationships positively enhanced the experience for women faculty teaching in full-time or adjunct positions in …

Twenty Years Of Community-Based College Success: Oral Histories From Practitioners, Partners, And Peer Mentors Supporting City University Of New York (Cuny) Students, Benjamin J. Carey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

For the past twenty years, community-based college success programs have supported a generation of young people entering all twenty-five City University of New York (CUNY) Colleges. As the country’s largest urban university system, CUNY has historically been a major engine of economic mobility for young people in New York City. However, gaps in academic preparation and navigational support have weakened student persistence and graduation rates. Community-based organizations (CBOs) that have provided college access support to New York City public school students since the 1980s began to extend their services into college to provide targeted interventions and improve student outcomes. Grounded …

While Administrators Fret, Prospective Law Students Are Losing Interest In U.S. News Rankings, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

Prospective law students across the United States are paying less attention and giving less credence to the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of American law schools, according to new research from scholars at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law.

“The Decline and Fall of the U.S. News Rankings” was published this week on the Social Science Research Network by Indiana Law Professor CJ Ryan and Brian Frye, Kentucky’s Spears-Gilbert Professor of Law.

Contrary to what many in the legal education community believe, a rise in the U.S. News rankings …

Ripple Of Hope: Understanding The Lived Experience And Academic Achievement Of Latinx Students At Arrupe College And Dougherty Family College: A Case Study, Richard P. Virgin

Dissertations

One of the most common and important entry points into higher education for Latinx and other underrepresented students is through community college. However, national completion rates for Latinx community college students have been trailing their white peers. This gap in academic achievement has prevailed since the 1990s. The trailing rates of degree completion for Latinx students can lead to lower lifetime salary earnings, lack of career advancement, greater risk of losing employment, and an increased chance of living in poverty. However, a successful community college model may be seen as a disruptor in the educational sector due to its much …

Early Career Women Of Color As Social Justice Change Leaders, Amy Anh Hoang Dinh

Master's Theses

The student affairs profession is predominantly female, but women, especially women of color (WOC), are disproportionately in entry-level positions. The majority of student affairs professionals also believe social justice is important but desire more support for their social justice work. This study examined how early career WOC perceived the power dynamics that they encountered in their social justice-oriented organizational change efforts, the strategies and tactics they utilized to lead change efforts, and the aspects of their identities that were the most salient to them during their change efforts. The study design used a phenomenology methodology and an intersectionality theoretical framework. …

Defining Faculty’S Role In Supporting Student Mental Health Needs In Higher Education, Erica B. Riba

Student Theses

The subject of mental health among college students has been prevalent for decades. Today, college students are facing more challenges to mental wellness than ever before. Faculty are often the first and only point of contact for many students. Faculty have a role to play in supporting student mental health, but that role has not been clearly defined. This study aims to bring clarity to some of these critical issues and offers a lens into this broad topic from faculty themselves. A mixed-methods design was used for this study. 889 people who have downloaded The Jed Foundation’s Faculty Guide to …

Female Medical Students’ Lived Experiences Of Financial Stress And Coping, Untara Shaikh, Dr. Kimberlee Bonura

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

Financial stress is a pervasive concern among medical students, with documented associations with adverse physical health, psychological morbidity, and ineffective coping. This study focuses on understanding the financial stressors female medical students face and the coping strategies they employ. While financial stress and coping mechanisms have been explored in the literature, a notable gap exists in understanding these dynamics among female students.

The study employed a phenomenological research approach to obtain data from the respondents, where data collection involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The Adaptation Model of Nursing, complemented by Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Theory, was a comprehensive framework for analyzing …

"La Experiencia Universitaria"- Asset-Based Community Needs Assessment For Uconn Waterbury’S Hispanic Community, Ilene Garcia

Honors Scholar Theses

An asset-based community needs assessment for the Hispanic community of the University of Connecticut’s Waterbury campus was conducted. The community needs assessment uncovered assets that support students, as well as the need for additional resources to promote success in higher education. Information was gathered from the campus community regarding current documented practices such as informal or formal support to aid Hispanic students in their college experience relating to their wellbeing, academic success, and career development. A town hall meeting for the community of students on campus was conducted to impart the information gathered and gather further feedback from students. The …

The Experiences Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services: A Grounded Theory Approach, Ivan Noe

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including assistance with enrollment services through one stops. This study sought to understand the multiple ways in which this population of students experiences the one stop at one of three four-year public research universities in California. This qualitative research study utilized the constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods to aid in the emergence of …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Social Capital And Its Influence On Baccalaureate Degree Completion Of First-Generation African American Men At The University Of Louisville., Joseph Marshall Goodman Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation was designed to examine influences which various forms of social capital have on post-secondary degree attainment of first-generation individuals who self-identify as African American men. Additionally, the sample population consisted of Black men who successfully matriculated to earn baccalaureate credentials across differing academic disciplines at a public historically White institution located in the mid-south region of the United States. The research data was extracted from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews using authentic dialogue through open-ended questions. Theoretical paradigms of the study involved a phenomenological approach and an ontological philosophical assumption, integrated with critical theory, critical race theory and social …

Does My Voice Matter? Understanding The Lived Experiences And Turnover Intentions Of Professional Academic Advisors, Keith Kanard Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic advising has been a vital aspect of the higher education setting for at least a century. Academic advising has evolved from the vocational development of young men to a full-time profession, especially after the creation of the National Academic Advising Association in 1979. Although the academic profession has developed through research, master’s programs, and courses designed to expand the field of academic advising, researchers still question whether full-time academic advising is a profession. Questions regarding the legitimacy of the work of academic advisors have led to miscommunication between upper administrators within the university. Universities have experienced a trend of …

School Counselors’ Perspectives On Preparing Students Experiencing Homelessness For College, Stacey A. Havlik, Dana Brookover, Patrick Rowley

Journal of College Access

The purpose of the study is to investigate school counselors’ support of youth experiencing homelessness going to college. Using survey methods, school counselors reported their knowledge, perceived competence, advocacy, and actions related to supporting students experiencing homelessness in their college preparation. The results suggested that training and the number of students experiencing homelessness on counselors’ caseloads were significantly related to their knowledge and competence. Knowledge, competence, and advocacy all impacted the number of interventions utilized by participants. The implications of these results for school counselors and counselor educators are discussed.