A primary focus within the field of higher education in prison is to ensure that federal, state, and institution-level polices helping to develop and sustain programs remain durable. Current justifications for policies in support of programs often rely on a predominantly recidivist lens, advocating for programs on the grounds of their likelihood…

This qualitative, participatory action research study used interviews and visual data to explore the aspirations of Black undergraduate students in their final year of science degree programs at a predominantly white institution, and the assets and resources that supported persistence in pursuing their aspirations. While students experienced…

Shifting the existing lens of mentorship in graduate education to one that frames graduate students as mentors, rather than mentees, I explore how 10 STEMM doctoral student mentors considered social identities and organizational power structures in mentoring undergraduates. Using sociospatial and in-depth interview data, findings illuminate how…

This critical ethnography examines the resistance efforts of undocu/DACAmented collegians during the Trump campaign and presidency era (2015-2021). Guided by the matrix of resistance, this study sought to highlight the various methods and intentions these collegians use to resist subordination amidst an anti-im/migrant sociopolitical climate.…

The purpose of this hermeneutic and post-intentional phenomenological study was to explore spatial dimensions of the experiences of college student survivors of trauma. Specifically, this study unearthed how individual traumatic experiences traveled through campus environments and what this meant for survivors' lived experiences as college…

Students feel race across the emotional spectrum--from hate to joy to despair to sadness. This article is an invitation to take seriously, highlight, and analyze Black joy, in particular, through Black students' recreation and celebration at a historically White campus. The author explores Black joy in two main ways. First, the author provides a…

Building on literature addressing doctoral student socialization and scientific research groups, we qualitatively explore the gendered nature of laboratory rotations for 54 women pursuing STEM doctorates. Using in-depth interviews and a feminist phenomenological approach, findings highlight how women (re)constructed strategies to select lab…

The authors sought to examine how queer and trans students' residential living relates to perceptions of campus climate. Using Hurtado and colleagues' (2012) Multicontextual Model for Diverse Learning Environments, we utilized structural equation modeling to examine queer and trans students' perceptions of campus climate as mediated by…

In this qualitative, multiple-case study, we explored 30 students' experiences across three social justice living-learning communities (LLC) to understand their conception of social justice and LLC involvement. Moreover, we examined the community elements that advanced these outcomes. Despite similar goals across communities, students demonstrated…

In this study, we explore characteristics of interpersonal interactions and contextual features that cultivate or neglect Latinx undergraduates' sense of "familismo" in Science and Engineering (S&E). Using a mixed methods approach, we found barriers such as a culture of hyper-competition through pedagogical and assessment practices,…

Undocumented students are barred from accessing financial aid and face enormous obstacles in completing college (Gonzales, 2009). However, in 2011, California passed the California DREAM Act that granted undocumented students access to state financial aid (California Student Aid Commission, 2016). The purpose of this study was to examine the…

The campus climate literature obscures the complexity of individuals' perspectives in relation to multiple dimensions of the broader learning environment. Unexamined are the ways students from marginalized backgrounds may "respond" to oppressive dimensions of the campus climates in unique ways that moderate observed outcome differences.…

Undergraduate students benefit from academic-centered peer interactions, especially in large lecture courses. However, little is known about how students come together and form relationships around a course. I conduct a mixed-methods study of students' peer networks to explore how students choose peers for academic-focused interactions. The…

Class participation benefits students by enhancing engagement, critical thinking, interpersonal communication, and motivation, but the role of underrepresented minority identities on class participation has not been well-studied. We surveyed 94 undergraduate health education students about experiences/attitudes about class participation, finding…

The movement incorporating sustainability into the academic mission of higher education has grown quickly in the last few decades. At the same time, vast interpretations of sustainability exist as institutions work to incorporate it into the curriculum. Therefore, using interviews with 42 individuals and observations of 67 courses, this study…