Money Matters: The Influence of Financial Factors on Graduate Student Persistence

National statistics indicate that approximately 50 percent of all graduate students fail to complete their degree; thus, understanding the factors that influence their persistence is an important research objective. Using data from a nationally representative sample of bachelor\u27s degree recipients, the study aimed to answer three questions: What proportion of 1992-1993 bachelor\u27s degree recipients enrolled in graduate school by 2003? Of those, what proportion persisted in graduate school? Controlling for background and academic differences, what effect do financial factors have on persistence in graduate school? Descriptive and hierarchal binomial logistic regression results suest that 36 percent of bachelor\u27s degree recipients has enrolled in a graduate program by 2003; 74 percent of initial enrollees has persisted by 2003, and financial factors (e.g., total loan, tuition reduction, deferment status) were related to persistence. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are highlighted

“FAILING TO FIT: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORIES AND STUDENTS OF COLOR”

Theories proposed by Chickering, Astin, Helms, Gilligan, and Perry serve as a framework for under¬standing and explaining the development of college students

Hope and Mental Health: An Investigation of Loneliness, Depression, Stress, and Hope in University Students amid COVID-19

This quantitative study explored the relationship between hope, a psychological construct (Snyder, 2000), and college students’ mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, as measured by their loneliness, depression, and stress levels. Analyzing survey data from a non-random probability sample of 257 college students, results indicate that hope was inversely related with loneliness, depression, and stress suggesting that greater presence of hope is associated with lower levels of such symptoms (r’s ranging -0.15 to -0.23). Noteworthy, hierarchical linear regression tests show that hope was significantly related to depressive symptoms in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly twice the strength of other predictors. Implications of the study’s findings for public policy, professional practice, and future research are discussed

Assessing Student Learning and Development in Fraternity and Sorority Affairs

Assessment in higher education has increased over the past several decades. Pressure from constituencies for colleges to demonstrate their effectiveness in measurable terms and loss of public trust in higher education drive the movement toward assessment. Presently, assessment is part of the accreditation process. Student affairs practitioners, including those working with fraternities and sororities, are not immune to these pressures. Yet, many student affairs professionals report feeling inadequately skilled in conducting assessment projects and need guidance in this area of their work. The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the importance of assessment and how it relates to fraternity/sorority advising. In addition, the article highlights the ways in which assessment can be used to demonstrate student learning and development resulting from fraternity and sorority involvement

How Relationships with Faculty and Peers Affect Value Development in Undergraduate Engineering Education: A National Survey Analysis

To prepare students for the serious ethical dilemmas encountered in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), higher education educators strive to influence students’ value development. Despite this goal, little is known about value development in undergraduate engineering education. Survey data from the 2008-2009 national administration of the revised College Student Experiences in STEM Questionnaire (CSESQ) was analyzed to examine the relationship between students’ engagement with faculty and peers and their perceived value development. Findings from the present study offer insight into (a) engineering students’ value development in college, and (b) the influence of relationships with peers and faculty members on such outcomes. Results from our analysis indicate that students who rate their relations with peers and faculty as positive, supportive, and welcoming also tend to report higher perceived gains in terms of value development. College classification and relationships with others such as faculty members were found to be statistically significant predictors of value development for undergraduate engineering students

African American and Hispanic STEM Students\u27 Engagement at Predominantly White Institutions

Although research has shown that involvement is a helpful predictor of students’ future success, underrepresented minorities (i.e., African Americans and Hispanics) face unique obstacles at predominantly White institutions, which limit their engagement in educationally purposeful activities. Survey data from a 2007 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were analyzed to measure African American and Hispanic students’ engagement in educationally purposeful activities. Results from the present study found that student satisfaction in college is positively related to time spent preparing for class and frequency of interactions with faculty members about careers. Furthermore, African American and Hispanic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students who engage peers of different opinions or spend significant amounts of time studying academic work report higher scores on personal and social gains than their same-race peers who do so less frequently

Basic Needs Insecurity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A #RealCollege HBCU Report

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established primarily in the post-Civil War era to meet the educational needs of Black Americans. They provide pathways to upward social mobility and have a long-standing commitment to promoting both academic success and students' health and well-being. But persistent funding inequities at both the state and federal levels actively undermine those commitments and leave the sector particularly vulnerable during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.This report, a collaboration between The Hope Center and the Center for the Study of HBCUs, uses data from the #RealCollege Survey to examine the overlapping challenges affecting students attending HBCUs during fall 2020. In total, nearly 5,000 students from 14 public and private four-year HBCUs responded to the survey.Topics covered include:Impacts of the pandemic on students' health and employmentStudents' basic needs securityUtilization of public and campus supports, including emergency aid and SNAPRecommendations for federal and state policymaker

Measuring the Educational Benefits of Diversity in Engineering Education: A Multi-Institutional Survey Analysis of Women and Underrepresented Minorities

Changing demographics of the U.S. population drive growing emphases on diversity in engineering education. Still, questions persist about the educational benefits of race and gender diversity within the student population, despite decades of supportive research. The present study sought to estimate the educational benefits that accrue to undergraduate engineering students who interact with diverse peers and perspectives. Furthermore, differences across gender and race were explored. Multi-institutional survey data were analyzed for over 100 undergraduate engineering students using a 2007 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Findings show that encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, or racial/ethnic backgrounds can produce greater perceived learning gains amongst engineering students

Academic and Social Barriers to Black and Latino Male Collegians\u27 Success in Engineering and Related STEM Fields

Historically underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities (i.e. African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) have experienced barriers to their success in engineering and related STEM fields. These student populations have had lower degree attainment rates, switch to non-STEM majors more frequently, and experience unique social challenges when compared to White and Asian Pacific Islander counterparts. To examine these findings, nearly 50 interviews were conducted and analyzed in the present study to better understand the academic and social experiences of African American and Latino American men in these fields. Interviews revealed that these students tend to (1) feel alone and invisible, (2) lack same race peers and faculty members, (3) have difficulty applying theory to practice, and (4) lack the pre-college preparation necessary to succeed in STEM fields

Infographic: Academic and Social Barriers to Black and Latino Male Collegians\u27 Success in Engineering and Related STEM Fields

Infographic about academic and social barriers to Black and Latino male collegians\u27 success in engineering and related STEM fields