This article highlights the problem of omitted variable bias in research on the causal effect of financial aid on college-going. I first describe the problem of self-selection and the resulting bias from omitted variables. I then assess and explore the strengths and weaknesses of random assignment, multivariate regression, proxy variables, fixed…

This paper presents a case study of the origins, politics, and preliminary outcomes of Virginia's "restructured" relationship between public colleges and universities and the Commonwealth. The initially proposed "charter" status for the state's three historically important universities became the vehicle for a reform that imposed more substantive…

This study builds upon previous research on the effect of diversity on college students by examining and modeling the effects of diversity experiences for students of color and White students' transition to college. Specifically, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to examine the direct and indirect effects of interactions with diverse…

Using data from a national survey of college faculty, this study examines faculty members' preferred teaching practices as one aspect of their professional behavior that may reflect the spiritual dimension of their own lives. Findings show that faculty who are highly spiritual are more likely than their less spiritual colleagues to use…

This study applied a multinomial HOLM technique to examine the extent to which the institutional climate for diversity influences the different types of college student withdrawal, such as stop out, drop out, and transfer. Based on a reformulation of Tinto's model along with the conceptualization of institutional climate for diversity by Hurtado…

This essay critically examines the centrality of mobility to the model of being a higher education professor or a student affairs professional. Using three narratives of lower-income Latino students about their educational and professional choices, we offer a reading based on Gouldner's classic conception of cosmopolitans and locals, and on Baez's…

This study calculates and explores the total costs of a community college education prior to transfer to a four-year college. Included are all courses both at and below the college level by 411 students who attended one of the nine community colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and who successfully transferred to a…

The national media and academic journals have reported a sizable wage gap between men and women in academe--a gap that has persisted over time. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics for 2004-2005 show that the average salary for all male faculty ($69,337) exceeded the average salary for female faculty ($56,926) by almost 22%.…

This study examines factors that contribute to the chances of retaining underrepresented minority (URM) students in an undergraduate biomedical or behavioral science major. Of particular interest is the extent to which institutional status, as related to undergraduate selectivity, student perceptions, and other institutional characteristics,…

The Supreme Court first affirmed the importance of academic freedom in 1957. Yet in subsequent cases, First Amendment precedent has displaced the concept of academic freedom to resolve disputes among competing interests on public campuses, primarily in favor of institutions. This paper draws on the concepts of path dependence and policy space to…

This study uses a mixed methods approach to examine how business school deans alter the appointment status and salary structure of their faculty. In addition to analyzing interviews with deans, we examined faculty-level data for more than 200 business colleges between the 1997-1998 and 2005-2006 academic years. We find that business deans are…

Using a nationally representative sample of baccalaureate graduates from 1993 (B&B 93/97/03), I explore factors that contribute to the gender and racial gap in earnings among recent college graduate. Results indicate that college major remains the most significant factor in accounting for the gender gap in pay. Female graduates are still left…

Recent reforms in the Carnegie Foundation classification system and regional accreditation standards have fueled momentum for community engagement in higher education. This study employs a knowledge-flow conceptual framework to identify barriers and facilitators that influence the adoption of an engagement agenda at land-grant and urban research…

Racial minority student persistence is of paramount importance to higher education policymakers and practitioners. This study was aimed at understanding racial differences in the direct and indirect effects of campus racial climate on degree completion using structural equation modeling techniques and a nationally representative sample. The…

This study draws on data from descriptive case studies of 15 high schools, three in each of five states. The findings highlight constraints in the availability of college counseling, differences in the availability of college counseling across schools, and the influence of schools, districts, higher education institutions, and states on the…