{"title":"Exploring the Experiences of College Women in Fields with Disparities in Gender Representation","authors":"Kara Crawford, B. Silver","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134226","url":null,"abstract":"Although women earn over half of all bachelor’s degrees in the United States, they are not equally represented across fields of study. Research on gender segregation in higher education has expanded, but this primarily quantitative work tends to neglect the voices of the college women who are experiencing gender-segregated settings firsthand. Our research explores the experiences of women majoring in fields where gender representation is unequal. Sixteen women undergraduates took part in interviews, with half coming from majors classified as women-minority, and half from majors designated as women-majority. Findings demonstrate that women in women-minority majors and women in women-majority majors differ in how they describe their experiences around three themes: relationships with classmates, relationships with professors, and the emotional impact of major demographics. This article concludes by exploring implications for higher education.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"28 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140661332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Role of State Higher Education Policy in Student Success and Equity","authors":"Robert Kelchen","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss135047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss135047","url":null,"abstract":"Public colleges and universities are a key driver of social and economic mobility, yet they also face increasingly challenging financial and political environments. In this essay, I discuss four key areas in which state higher education policy can influence student success and equity: the amount of funding provided, funding allocation mechanisms, tuition policies, and policies related to admissions and enrollment. I then conclude with some key policy questions going forward.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"57 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140665745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Performance-Based Funding: A Systematic Review of the Literature","authors":"Jorge Burmicky, Allyson Clarke, Charles Anderson","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134690","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examined how performance-based funding (PBF) policies shape institutional performance and student outcomes for public four-year or above historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). By conducting a systematic review of the literature, the findings expanded on two main areas, as underscored by the pieces reviewed: (a) how the implementation of PBF policies across states impacts public four-year or above HBCUs, and (b) the intended and unintended consequences of PBF policy on public four-year or above HBCUs. The review of the literature largely indicated that public HBCUs continue to feel the burden of long-term disinvestment and lack of policy planning that is attentive to their histories, mission, and needs. Although researchers are still evaluating the impact of PBF policies on institutional performance and student outcomes based on PBF 2.0, the literature has affirmed that PBF 1.0 has negatively impacted student performance, raising several concerns about the future of HBCUs.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"62 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140663880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effects of Course Modality on Student Satisfaction and Academic Outcomes at a Liberal Arts College During the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Suhua Dong","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134781","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134781","url":null,"abstract":"Using student self-reports on a survey and objective records of academic achievement, I examined the effects of course modality on student satisfaction and academic outcomes at a selective liberal arts college in spring 2021. I compared three groups of undergraduates (N = 729) based on their predominant course modality: Online-Class Group, Residential Blended Learning Group, and Residential In-Person-Class Group. After controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, class level, and socioeconomic status, course modality demonstrated significant main effects on all three satisfaction variables and sense of connection a student felt to the institution. The Online-Class Group reported the lowest satisfaction with level of academic challenge, quality of teaching, and overall quality of academic experiences; it also reported the weakest sense of connection. The Residential Blended Learning Group differed from the Residential In-Person-Class Group on one variable: satisfaction with quality of teaching, on which the former reported lower satisfaction. Course modality did not affect a student’s grade point average; although it interacted with gender in its effect on the number of course units a student passed, no subgroup difference by course modality and gender was significant. This study indicates that online classes and blended learning, especially the latter, have potential at liberal arts colleges. ","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140666052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reconsidering Student Success in the Age of Artificial Intelligence","authors":"Shouping Hu, Fengfeng Ke","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss135093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss135093","url":null,"abstract":"In this editorial by Dr. Shouping Hu and Dr. Fengfeng Ke at Florida State University, they discuss the need to systematically reconsider the nature of student success in the age of artificial intelligence.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"17 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140660467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Role of Family, Friends, and Colleagues Supporting Workers and Learners Navigating College","authors":"Sophia L. Ángeles, Janna Shadduck-Hernández","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134285","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134285","url":null,"abstract":"Nationwide, almost one in two of full-time undergraduate students are employed. As such, this qualitative study investigates how 69 workers and learners, who were full-time students in a Los Angeles County public college or university and who had a job, leveraged the wealth of knowledge and resources embedded in their familial and peer networks to strategically manage the demands of school and work. Informed by the theoretical frameworks of funds of knowledge and community cultural wealth, we illustrate the diverse ways family and peers contributed to the success of workers and learners, including sharing college-specific knowledge, providing financial resources, facilitating access to employment opportunities, and providing job-specific knowledge. Findings shed light on the ways workers and learners strategically manage their worlds of school and work with support from their family and peers.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"11 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140660158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kerstin Gentsch, Yoshiko Oka, Sarah Truelsch, Alexandra Logue
{"title":"The Vertical Transfer Pipeline and Its Leaks: Tracking Students From Associate’s Programs to Bachelor’s Degrees","authors":"Kerstin Gentsch, Yoshiko Oka, Sarah Truelsch, Alexandra Logue","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134267","url":null,"abstract":"This longitudinal study of 17,455 students, the majority from underrepresented groups, investigated leaks in the vertical transfer pipeline from associate’s-degree program entry to bachelor’s-degree receipt. Investigated were both the size of the leaks and some associated variables. Pipeline progress examinations included quantification of early persistence, plus application to, enrollment and persistence in, and graduation from, bachelor’s programs. The examined associated variables included student demographic characteristics and possible pipeline leak malleable factors: academic preparation and performance and financial need. Overall, only 23% of the original cohort received a bachelor’s degree after eight years. In addition, this study is the first to identify and quantify the transfer melt leakage point (students accepted for vertical transfer who do not enroll in bachelor’s programs), and the first to have quantified transfer shock (a transfer-related decrease in GPA) in a large general cohort (shown by 16 percentage points of the cohort). Variables involving quicker degree progress (e.g., being exempt from remediation and enrolling full-time) were negatively associated with pipeline leaks. Together the results provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners regarding how to increase vertical transfer pipeline output and increase bachelor’s degrees by community college students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, thus increasing higher education equity.\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"143 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140482675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cynthia Demetriou, Carol McNulty, Candice Powell, James DeVita
{"title":"“Confidence to Continue”: A Qualitative Investigation of College Students’ Experiences of Microaffirmations","authors":"Cynthia Demetriou, Carol McNulty, Candice Powell, James DeVita","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132942","url":null,"abstract":"Colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to retain students and increase degree completion amid multiple social and economic threats to undergraduate student enrollment. A sense of belonging, motivation, and confidence are foundational to student success and essential components of strategic approaches to enrollment challenges. Microaffirmations, brief acts communicating care, listening, and support, can be a powerful tool within these efforts for promoting belonging. This study examined how 350 undergraduate students experienced microaffirmations and the meaning of the microaffirmations to their educational lives. Findings indicate that students identify multiple forms of microaffirmations and that these promote positive benefits, including perceived improvement in academic performance, persistence to remain in college, and assistance in navigating challenges. In short, microaffirmations provide students with the confidence to continue by influencing their perspectives on self-efficacy and support.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"142 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140482067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transitioning From High School to College in the United States","authors":"Laura Perna","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134577","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134577","url":null,"abstract":"As in other nations, higher education has many benefits for individual participants and for communities in the United States. But, the opportunity to attain higher education is unequal. To understand the forces that contribute to higher education attainment in the United States, this essay first provides a brief overview of the characteristics of the nation’s higher education system. It then discusses the importance of academic preparation, financial resources, and information to college enrollment and success, as well as structural inequality in the availability of these resources. The essay then discusses how particular practices used by colleges and universities in the United States contribute to stratification in the transition from high school to college.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"217 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140484952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alanna Gillis, Renee Ryberg, Myklynn LaPoint, Sara McCauley
{"title":"The COVID-19 Emergency Remote Transition on College Campus: Inequitable College Student Experiences and Policy Responses","authors":"Alanna Gillis, Renee Ryberg, Myklynn LaPoint, Sara McCauley","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss134232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss134232","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines how inequality manifested during the emergency remote COVID-19 transition in higher education. We use 35 in-depth interviews with college students, conducted virtually, in real-time, during spring 2020 lockdowns, to examine how the transition impacted their lives. Students in the sample from lower-income backgrounds reported significant basic needs insecurity, financial instability, and academic struggles. Latino and Black students in the sample, in particular, reported financial instability, mental health crises, and academic struggles. Meanwhile, affluent white students and affluent Asian students in the study tended to face only minor setbacks or even flourish during this time. University and government policies exacerbated the negative experiences of marginalized students, often due to faulty assumptions that all college students have families who provide for their needs. While the particulars of this crisis were unusual, and this study took place at one institution of higher education, these findings suggest that higher education administrators must consider the implications of policies on the most disadvantaged students.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"188 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140481149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}