This study is a qualitative investigation of the role that social networks play in the adjustment and academic success of international students. With large numbers of international students enrolled on US campuses, it is important for practitioners to prepare, understand and address their dynamic needs. Based on social network, social capital, and student development integrated framework, the study focuses on how international students utilize social networks to adjust and for academic success. Data were gathered through 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with international students. The number of international students coming to the US has increased dramatically. As this increase continues to pick, competition for these students locally and globally has intensified. Competing effectively requires addressing the needs and challenges these students face. Social networks of friends, family members, faculty, and administrators address the different needs and challenges facing this population. Yet, few studies have investigated how the students utilize social networks. Despite their fundamental role in students' adjustment and academic success, social networks have received little attention from higher education scholars, particularly on the role of social networks in the students' adjustment and success. This study investigated social networks of international students in general, factors that facilitate and impede social networking, how different networks correspond to different needs, and ways in which these networks help the students adjust and succeed. The findings of this study confirm that social networks play an important role in the various needs and challenges international students encounter as they pursue their studies.

This study is a multidisciplinary historical analysis of the national junior-community college mission debate in the twentieth century. It utilizes resource dependency, institutional and social movement theories to explain the organizational behaviors of the community college as these relate to the concept of mission. Historians of the colleges note that the first junior colleges were established without clear missions or a plausible theoretical framework to rationalize their educational activities and social purposes. Growth in concern about the mission and identity of the community college parallels movement expansion.A common conception among community college scholars is that the colleges are non-traditional, non-specialized by design, and mandated to provide a comprehensive curriculum to their communities. Practitioners tend to focus on the ideas of openness, access, and responsiveness to community needs. Historically, there has been little consensus among practitioners, advocates, and academic researchers about the educational outcomes and social significance of the colleges. Practitioners and critics often speak past each other because they employ incommensurate units of analysis and possess conflicting or unexamined assumptions. As a result, these multiple lenses of analysis lead to multiple understandings (and misunderstanding) of the community college mission.This study analyzes how and why the junior college was transformed from a minor extension of secondary education to an expansive, ubiquitous national institution embracing a fungible, even amorphous, comprehensive mission. It contextualizes two questions posed by George Vaughan:Why do even the community college's most articulate and intelligent leaders have difficulty explaining its Proteus-like characteristics? Why is it difficult to explain to the public in simple and understandable terms the twin towers of community college philosophy: open access and comprehensiveness? (1991a, p. 2)Two additional questions guide this research and lead to the investigation's findings:1) How can organization, institutional and social movement theories clarify the mission problem?2) What is the impact of postindustrial change on the contemporary community college mission?This study employs historical methods, grounded theory, and case study methodology to elaborate and explain organizational behavior and to uncover previously ignored characteristics of the national community movement.

The field of higher education offers a wealth of literature concerning part-time, adjunct faculty. While the decision to employ this category of labor is crucial to the financial exigency of many institutions this study adopts the perspective of the individual employee and to investigate the motivations and strategies that adjuncts employ in order to teach in the field of higher education. To date, the majority of the literature concerning adjuncts has been written from the perspective of the full-time, tenure track academician. This paper investigates the perspective of adjunct faculty in higher education; specifically the personal branding efforts carried out in the execution of an adjunct's day-to-day job requirements. Additionally the study examines the economic situation - what I am calling "the new economy" - in which an adjunct must function and how this has impacted their career. And finally, the study looks at how adjunct faculty fit in and transition among the multiple taxonomies in which they have been cast by researchers.The study was a qualitative analysis of twelve adjuncts who possessed varying levels of terminal education achievement. Some temporary laborers are clearly valued by the institutions that hire them because of the skill and expertise they bring to the schools, while others rely on relationships with the decision makers to formulate a career in their chosen field. The findings from this study indicate that adjuncts clearly employ a broad variety of personal branding and selling strategies in order to maintain a foothold in the field of higher education. Future directions include the opportunity for longitudinally investigating the impact that personal branding plays in educational career as well as the impact adjuncts have on students' educational experience.

<p> With the nontraditional student population growing at a staggering rate, this study was conducted to contribute to the literature on the reasons nontraditional students remain enrolled in a university, despite having to overcome multiple challenges not typical of a traditional college student. The problem statement of this study stated: <i>It was not known how nontraditional students perceived factors and events that motivated them to stay enrolled in postsecondary courses and persist to attaining a degree.</i> The research questions were (1) How did a nontraditional student stay motivated to remain enrolled at a university? (2) What were the positive and negative experiences that influenced a nontraditional student to remain enrolled at a university? and (3) What perceived obstacles or challenges did nontraditional students experience that resulted in the decision to withdraw from a university before goal completion? Ten nontraditional students at moderate or high risk of dropping out were interviewed for this qualitative phenomenological study. The theoretical framework of Bean and Metzner&rsquo;s conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition was utilized in the study. The data were analyzed utilizing Moustakas&rsquo; modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of analysis, with thirteen themes emerging in the analysis. The theoretical implication of this study is that there are compelling reasons nontraditional students have to remain enrolled in college, despite the presence of obstacles that often lead to attrition rather than persistence. Additional research is warranted on nontraditional student retention that focuses on qualitative studies and methods of supporting these students to assist in their challenges.</p>

<p> Many Americans cite the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the country&rsquo;s first non-White President, as proof of the arrival of the United States as a post-racial nation (Harlow, 2008). Despite this, according to an Associated Press Poll in 2012, racist attitudes in the United States have worsened since 2008 among American adults age 18 and older. Recent events, such as the killing of Black teenager Michael Brown in Fergusson, Missouri by a White police officer in August 2014, the death of Eric Garner, a Black man, at the hands of a White New York City police officer in July 2014, and the subsequent demonstrations and riots following grand jury decisions not to indict the officers reinforce the notion that racial issues are alive and well in the United States today. Service-learning experiences, including alternative spring break, are an especially relevant venue for exploring race and racial attitudes as students often engage in service across racial differences and study systems of oppression.</p><p> The purpose of this mixed-method, explanatory sequential study was to describe the effect of alternative spring break on color-blind racial attitudes of undergraduate students at four institutions of higher education in the United States. The overarching research questions of the project are as follows: (a) What is the effect of alternative spring break participation on undergraduate students&rsquo; color-blind racial attitudes as measured by the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS)?; (b) What factors influence the color-blind racial attitudes of undergraduate students participating in alternative spring break as measured by CoBRAS?; (c) iii How do alternative spring break program coordinators interpret CoBRAS scores of students from their institution?</p><p> The Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Survey (CoBRAS) was utilized as the instrument to measure color-blind racial attitudes. Students participating in alternative spring break were given the instrument prior to spring break and after spring break. Additionally, alternative spring break coordinators had the opportunity to interpret the results from their institution.</p><p> Students who participated in alternative spring break showed statistically significant lower total CoBRAS scores, as well as statistically significant lower CoBRAS scores on all three CoBRAS constructs (Unawareness of Racial Privilege; Unawareness of Institutional Discrimination; Unawareness of Blatant Racial issues). Lower CoBRAS scores indicate a reduction in color-blind racial attitudes. Factors that influenced lower scores on the instrument included host institution, issue focus of trip (people vs. animal/environment vs. mix of people/animal/environment), and gender of student participant. Through their interpretation of the quantitative results, program coordinators at the four participating institutions suggested that a) training, b) diversity of participants and leaders, c) community partners, d) developmental level/skill of trip leaders, and e) current events could have influenced the scores.</p>

This research analyses the impact of British Postgraduate (PG) Business Education in modern UK universities (MUKUs) on the entrepreneurial actions of returning foreign students by reference to the world’s second largest transition economy, the Russian Federation. It identifies the motivational influences on Russian students for studying in the UK, studying Business and Management and choosing a university. The research focuses specifically on three London-based modern UK universities, Postgraduate studies, in general, and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education (EEE) at those institutions and the entrepreneurial actions of Russian Graduate Entrepreneurs upon return to home country. This study is important for UK universities and transition and developing economies because it brings together these issues in a new way, and from a new perspective, and by reference to the entrepreneurial activity of returning Russian graduates who had studied abroad. Thus far, the linking of international studies, education and entrepreneurship and top line economic impact has received little attention, though recent publications have examined peripheral issues. This research has two main objectives; first to chart the entrepreneurial journey of Russian Graduate Entrepreneurs (RGEs), from the time of their UK postgraduate studies through to the actual practise of entrepreneurship in Russia; and secondly to examine the challenges and barriers faced by RGEs during their studies and afterward, as they take their first steps into actioning entrepreneurship. Methodologically, the study brings together three ostensibly disparate units of analysis, modern London-based Universities that offer Postgraduate Business Management and EE Education; Russian students, who graduated from these universities between 2005 and 2015; and economic development (non-governmental) officials from Russia. Data is collected over four rounds (secondary data, followed by three rounds of qualitative interviews) and analysed using classic qualitative content analysis, front-ended with a small-scale pilot study. This research found generally that the entrepreneurial journey of Russian Graduate Entrepreneurs generally occurs across three broad stages, a ‘Preliminary’ stage that covers experiences before Russian students enter the UK for PG studies; a ‘Learning’ stage which includes experiences of living and studying in the UK at MUKUs; and an ‘Action stage’ that focuses on entrepreneurial practise back home.

<p> The purpose of this study is to give a voice to economically disadvantaged women on welfare pursuing a degree in higher education. Attention is focused on the motivational and institutional factors they encounter while struggling to integrate academically and socially into the college campus community. The theoretical framework of the study was based on Vincent Tinto&rsquo;s Theory of Persistence, which emphasizes the importance of a strong inclusive educational and social campus community, and the role it plays in student retention. The study considers the impact of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act and the feminization of poverty in the United States. The impact the new welfare reform act had on education acquisition for women on welfare as well as the challenges these women faced was also examined. In addition, the academic and non-academic support programs that have enabled women on welfare to overcome the obstacles and barriers to education and achievement of academic success in higher education was further explored. The research design was a narrative study approach, which included the participants sharing their own story which included their background, family upbringing, educational experiences from elementary school to high school and ultimately college. In-depth interviews were used to develop a thorough description for the narratives. The participants were women on welfare who currently attended or had graduated from colleges and universities located in Hudson County, New Jersey. Through an analysis of the results a better understanding of how motivational and institutional factors affect a student&rsquo;s persistence was identified. The themes that emerged during analysis of the interview transcripts were considered within Tinto&rsquo;s 1973 model of attrition and persistence. Tinto&rsquo;s model includes the following components: pre-entry attributes (prior schooling and family background); goals/commitment (student aspirations and institutional goals); institutional experiences (academics, faculty interaction, co-curricular involvement, and peer group interaction); integration (academic and social); and outcome (departure decision&mdash; graduate, transfer, dropout). Findings indicate that colleges and universities can increase retention and support persistence by identifying students&rsquo; individual institutional needs, and by implementing and improving upon programs that aid academic and social integration.</p><p>

<p> U.S. independent schools, once exclusively the domain of the White, male, upper class, have recently focused on diversifying their student bodies in greater numbers. With an expanded demographic base, a reexamination is necessary to be certain that independent schools are supporting students from non-traditional backgrounds. My experience as an administrator, admission officer, and teacher at elite independent schools has taught me that working-class, White students represent an invisible diversity that is often underserved and understudied at these schools. </p><p> For this study, I attempt to make the invisible visible. Student voices were the heart of this investigation and data collection methods included both extensive individual and focus group interviews. I interviewed students who received at least 50% need-based financial aid and self- identified as White at a K-12 independent school in the North-Eastern part of the United States. In this qualitative exploratory study, I asked these students to tell me their stories. I wanted to learn what they &ldquo;carried&rdquo; with them when they first arrived at the school. I also sought to learn more about the supports and barriers that shaped their transition into the school. </p><p> What I learned was that the students each experienced a difficult transition into the school, but eventually created a generally positive school experience. They made meaning of their experience by developing a sense of determination and resiliency, all the while recognizing that their school experience was different than most of their peers. In addition, the students developed high level self-advocacy skills and learned to ask for what they wanted. Absent an organized affinity group, these students found connections with athletic teams, music groups and in advisory. They made authentic connections with adult mentors in the community. These connections to groups and adults eventually helped them to feel a sense of belonging and to find their places in their new school environment.</p><p>

<p> Intensified competition, declining numbers, budgetary constraints, and increased prices indicate that higher education is in the midst of a major evolution. Particularly, small, private, tuition-dependent institutions are struggling nationwide, and if they are unable to find ways to increase their revenue, increased mergers and closures will result. Additionally, both local and federal government have called for increased accountability, and amplified governmental regulations have resulted in high-stake consequences for noncompliance. </p><p> The law infiltrates every policy and department within an institution. Laws have been passed, and regulations have been promulgated by both the federal and state government, resulting in the expansion of the legal requirements institutions have to face. Although hundreds of laws and statutes impact higher education, this study will focus on the over 35 statutes and more than 60 enabling regulations that impact student affairs. Institutions have been asked to ramp up reporting, step up prevention, mandate training, interpret regulations, and keep abreast of the amendments to the law. This increased demand has placed a significant constraint on student affairs divisions at small, private, tuition-dependent institutions and has made an already demanding circumstance more complex. </p><p> Responsible for student affairs divisions, chief student affairs officers (CSAOs) manage the compliance obligations that permeate their areas of responsibility. Chief student affairs officers must be aware of the legal and risk management issues that affect the functional areas for which they are responsible. Little research exists documenting how these increased regulations have impacted the work of CSAOs. This multisite case study collected data from three sites to gain an in-depth understanding of how small, private, tuition-dependent institutions are managing student-centered compliance. Additionally, this study looked at the role the CSAO plays in managing student-centered compliance. In addition to the CSAO, additional staff at each of the three institutions were interviewed if they were identified as having responsibility for compliance. When available, policy manuals, handbooks, and other documents were reviewed to assist in data triangulation. A clear understanding of how compliance impacts CSAOs will help inform future work in the field of student affairs.</p><p>

<p> Anchor institutions are colleges and universities that, in recognition of the interdependence they share with their host community, collaboratively engage in effort to better their locale. Anchors strategically approach community partnerships and the contribution of institutional assets they provide towards selected efforts that are beneficial to both the community and the institution. The study of these types of citizen institutions are of value because they serve as models of democracy that stand in contrast to the atrophied civic life our country currently suffers. Despite the benefits communities, students, and institutions themselves derive from colleges and universities engaging in an anchor mission, there is currently a lack of recognizable or relatable illustrations of anchor engagement by which to be inspired and after which to emulate. Overcoming this barrier is achieved by offering illustrations of a more representative group of anchor institutions to inspire all types of institutions to adopt an anchor mindset and help build the types of communities that foster a more positive civic life. </p><p> Toward that end, the community mission and engagement of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and Central College, in Pella, Iowa were explored through case study methodology to develop a robust understanding of how each institution implements its civic mission and engages in its host community as an anchor institution. With a focus on each institution&rsquo;s thematic approach to their (a) civic responsibility, (b) democratic engagement, and (c) anchor contributions, a set of key components emerged that serve as foundational underpinnings of the efforts of these two colleges. Specifically, the existence of community values such as trust, networks and assets, dictate how each college and their community partners engage in common purpose actions that seek to address societal issues. That partnership engagement is advanced by Bates and Central through their democratic engagement approach of listening, learning and delivering which weaves through each of the identified themes. </p><p> With the identification of these two small, nonurban anchor institutions, the definition of anchor institution is broadened, and more relevant examples of anchor engagement are provided, to inspire replication by more similarly sized and located institutions.</p><p>