This author relates how, as a college student with an invisible disability, his experience affected his awareness of students with similar challenges and how educators can serve these students better. Henning shares his story in hopes that it will affect others' awareness of these students' challenges. To help students with hidden disabilities, he…

Interest in creating conditions that enhance student learning and support students in achieving their educational goals is at an all-time high. The pool of prospective undergraduates is larger and more diverse than ever, and four-fifths of high school graduates will require some form of postsecondary education to acquire the knowledge and…

Those educators who work with academically high-achieving college students have long known that these individuals face challenges along with their less scholastically prepared peers. Recently, the author and her colleagues at Miami University were reminded of this fact when they discovered that 80 percent of their honors students were exiting the…

The variety of problems identified with undergraduate education at large research universities may best be summed up by a disquieting portrait provided by the Boyer Commission. In its 1998 report, called "Reinventing Undergraduate Education", the commission described thousands of undergraduates receiving instruction from novice teaching…

Across American campuses, racial tension and other issues of diversity remain a major challenge. The majority of this country's institutions demonstrate that they value and promote diversity through efforts in affirmative action, minority student and faculty recruitment, minority retention, administration of special scholarships, diversity Web…

The University of Tampa's Leadership and Sailing program introduces students to leadership and sailing simultaneously by situating their learning about leadership in the context of sailing. By combining outdoor adventure and leadership training, the program is designed to help students learn the basic components of a sailboat and operate the boat…

This article examines the historical and contemporary context of black culture centers (BCCs) and offers findings from a recent study (conducted by this author) on the role of the centers in the lives of black students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The author's research revealed that these centers make a powerful difference in…

Many college and university students are zeroed in on their vocational pursuits. Often very narrowly focused, many college students simplistically equate a college education with a vocational education. In situations of advising, teaching, or life coaching, teachers often encounter students who believe that college is largely preparation for a…

Educators, particularly those who work with students outside the classroom, are trained to identify and correct problems. This approach typically addresses gaps in skills but does not identify and exploit personal strengths. In this article, the authors argue that institutions and the students who attend them would be better served by…

Providing equal educational access to students with disabilities is both a legal and a moral obligation. It is also an important component of the educational experience of all students. On college and university campuses, the needs of students with disabilities are typically considered the responsibility of the disability services office. Although…

The work of helping students succeed on urban commuter campuses may be some of the most complicated in higher education. Even in understanding their tasks, educators at city-based institutions must typically draw on research and practice from an amalgam of other types of institutions, including community colleges, metropolitan universities, urban…

The relationship between college students and their parents is far closer than it was when most of today's educators were in school. Tapping into the upside and managing the potential drawbacks of highly involved parents is taking on great importance on an increasing number of campuses. Whether people call them "helicopter parents" or…

Three decades of research and practice have demonstrated the power and importance of the experience of students who are making the transition from high school to college. Student persistence to the sophomore year and, ultimately, persistence to graduation are at stake. This recognition of the critical nature of the first year has motivated…

Practical inquiry combines the formal research techniques of formulating questions and conducting literature reviews with site-based data collection and use of findings to improve practice. The object of practical inquiry is to explain a situation. The ultimate goal is to learn how to improve or change the work. Merging research and assessment…

For years, educators had complained that college students were apathetic, that their turnout at the polls was pitifully low, that they didn't seem to care about national politics. Despite MTV's Rock the Vote campaign in the 2000 election, students didn't show up to vote in any numbers that gave everybody the reason to be hopeful about the nation's…