This article explores the ways in which women's perceptions of their own bodies affect their experiences as students in higher education. Based on online focus group interviews with 25 college women, the authors use Foucault's concept of the "Panopticon" to consider how students internalize and enforce gendered expectations related to…

This article describes findings from a qualitative study of the experiences of female student veterans in the military and in college. Twelve women were interviewed from two public research universities. Findings revealed individuals "betwixt and between" the complex intersection of identities: in the military, grappling with a sense of…

Academic contrapower harassment (ACPH) occurs when someone with seemingly less power in an educational setting (e.g., a student) harasses someone more powerful (e.g., a professor). A representative sample of 289 professors from U.S. institutions of higher education described their worst incident with ACPH. Open-ended responses were coded using a…

This study examined factors that influenced undergraduates' decision to enter, leave, or stay within science majors. In addition, we sought to understand if such decisions differed by gender and type of science major. Using Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) longitudinal survey data, we found that women were less likely to select a science…

This article aims to study both similarities and differences in female students' creativity between Mainland China and Taiwan. As two main aspects influencing creativity, playfulness and humor are especially focused on in this comparative study. Empirical data were collected from 831 students in Mainland China and 703 students in Taiwan. Based on…

The purpose of this preliminary, phenomenological study was to identify factors that influence identity development and meaning-making of Black undergraduate women at a predominately White institution. The goal of this research was two-fold: to share diverse experiences of Black undergraduate women in order to understand the essence of their lived…

Since career networks offer access to upper level positions, being a part of one can offer opportunities and access to information, knowledge and referrals for career mobility. However, the duality of race and gender can create a distinctive challenge to gaining access to career networks, which are crucial components to rise to the upper level of…

Community colleges (CC) are obvious places to recruit more women into computer science. Enrollment at CCs has grown in response to a struggling economy, and students are more likely to be from underrepresented groups than students enrolled in 4-year universities (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). However, we know little about why so…

While women now earn more bachelor's degrees than men in many parts of the world, large gender gaps persist in fields of study, and women remain underrepresented in the most prestigious institutions. This study updates and extends the literature on gender disparities in higher education by comparing the selectivity of the institutions where men…

This study explores the experiences of male college students who participated in a theatre-based, peer-education, sexual assault prevention presentation. The program was established through the use of Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Theatre of the Oppressed, as well as multicultural feminist theory and approaches. These models emphasize subverting…

This program description explores the purpose, structure, activities, and outcomes of the volunteer intern program at the Wright State University Women's Center. Designed to create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for students and to advance the center's mission, the volunteer intern program builds community while advancing social and…

How to make research relevant to policymakers is an enduring question in academe. Building upon the experience of the authors, this article examines the issue of research relevance to policymakers and provides suggestions for researchers interested in connecting their research to policy at the institutional, state, and federal levels.

This qualitative study explores the formation of educational and vocational goals among female first-year engineering students at two community colleges and one four-year institution, as well as contextual influences on this process. Participants' pathways to college are also explored, as well as their pathways into engineering. The findings…

This study explores the relationship between campus environments, female college student peer culture, and the tendency to volunteer while in college. The authors used Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development (1977, 2005) as a framework to (a) identify one multi-faceted campus environment that is linked to volunteerism among college…

In the following study, the authors sought to understand how self-efficacy contributed to the career success of five tenured Black women faculty employed at two predominantly White institutions. Investigating the level of self-efficacy was significant in understanding the behavior, attitudes, and strategies of study participants. The findings…