Leadership is necessary for organizational effectiveness (Kroeck et al., 2004), a finding that applies to student organizations at institutions of higher education (Plante, 2016; Posner, 2012). However, student leaders of campus organizations face nuanced and significant challenges (Foubert & Urbanski, 2006; Plante, 2016). Therefore, we sought…

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) which accredits higher education programs globally, has placed the ability for students to recognize professional and ethical responsibilities among their seven stated student outcomes that undergraduate engineering programs must ensure their students achieve to maintain their…

This dissertation explores the impact of student organizations on the persistence of women in STEM programs at the associate degree level. The findings reveal that participation in SkillsUSA provides students with valuable opportunities for hands-on learning, skill development, and career exploration, all of which contribute to the persistence of…

Although there have been gradual progressive attitudinal shifts (Garvey, Sanders, & Flint, 2017), LGBTQ+ students experience a chillier campus climate (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011; Garvey, Viray, Stango, Estep, & Jaeger, 2019; Rankin, 2005; Rankin, Weber, Blumenfeld, & Frazer, 2010) due to persistent experiences of violence,…

Leaders are needed to address the agriculture industry's increasingly complex and interconnected problems. Colleges of agriculture who offer leadership development coursework and degree programs often support student organizations to provide critical everyday opportunities for students to practice leadership in an authentic environment. This…

How might those of us located within post-secondary institutions support students who have experience of the mental health system in a meaningful way? Drawing on scholarship in social movement studies and a case study in Ontario, Canada, I distinguish between the prevailing mental health and wellness offerings of educational institutions and…

As a panethnic label, "Asian American" represents over 20 national origin groups as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau (Budiman & Ruiz, 2021). Although Pilipina/x/os are one of the largest Asian American groups in the United States, they have been misunderstood within Asian America due to their colonial history as well as East…

Canonical research and identity-evasive best practices have pushed Student Affairs Professionals (SAP) to limit the applicability and effectiveness of involvement for a swath of the student body. By examining the push for involvement on college campuses, it is imperative to critically examine the impact traditional forms of student engagement have…

Students in large cities across the United States can better understand agriculture through their involvement in School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE). Since the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917, Agricultural Education has been a pathway that encourages students to continue schooling and connect with future careers. We conducted a…

Career and Technical Student Organizations and Career and Technical Education programs in secondary education claim to prepare its students and members for post-secondary success. However, these claims are inherently difficult to study and quantify. By using a synthesis of the literature on emerging adulthood, self-directed learning, and…

In the United States, graduate education has become necessary to maintain a stable economy (Pascale, 2018). According to Torpey and Watson (2014), jobs requiring a master's degree or higher represent the fastest growing employment opportunities and are expected to increase by 18% by the year 2022. Despite this growing need for universities to…

This study provides insight into the role of affinity groups within educational environments focusing on the perspectives of school counseling practitioners who facilitate these groups. Affinity groups, designed to bring together students with shared identities or interests, serve as spaces for supportive dialogue, learning, and empowerment. The…

This qualitative phenomenological research study sought to explore African American male students' perception of the Successful Teaching Relative to Overcoming Negative Generalities (S.T.R.O.N.G.) MENtoring program's influence on their academic and social integration. As African American male students continue to experience lower graduation rates…

This phenomenological dissertation study aimed to explore how agency is exerted beyond hegemonic masculinities in engineering and illuminated the influences of a discipline's culture on masculine thinking and being. Moreover, this study, guided by Black feminism, epistemologically and theoretically, moves Black masculinities scholarship and…

This mixed methodological study examines the relationship between participation in a residential commons system and sense of belonging in the context of an elite, highly residential liberal arts institution. Students of color, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and students who do not participate in Greek letter organizations reported…