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ABSTRACT With reduced sources of external funding, higher education institutions are taking an increased focus onthe development of their alumni and current student populations with regards to philanthropic giving. One of the goals of leadership and their development team is to build and nurture a culture of philanthropy on campus amongst current students with the desired outcome of these efforts being to build a sense of affinity and responsibility to the institution evident through their engagement. While there is much research available about the motivation for giving and engagement amongst alumni, there is little information available about what motivates current students on campus to participate in philanthropic activity. It must be understood why students choose to engage in their chosen philanthropic activities, whichwould require gaining an understanding of intrinsic motivators for engagement. It is also important for institutions to learn how students want to be engaged to adjust tactics and incorporate methods of engagement which are valued and preferred by students. Learning the ways in which this newer group of students views the concepts of philanthropy, and the ways in which they seek to insert themselves into philanthropic engagement are going to be of the upmost importance to gain support from this cohort. Ultimately, this study examined undergraduate students’ philanthropic behaviors with the purpose ofdetermining if it is possible to find distinct factors which influence philanthropic motivations and engagement based upon student characteristics. A mixed method approach was used for this study. For the quantitative component of the study, 206 students located throughout the United States completed questionnaires, which provided survey questions utilizing a 5-point ordinal Likert scale, with responses indicating the likelihood of the variable influencing selected philanthropic activities. Surveys also captured student demographic variables. Twenty students from the quantitative study participated in a follow up one on one interview interviews for the qualitative component, which provided insight into student motivations via analysis of interview transcripts. Amongst participants of this study, findings indicate that there are significant relationships that exist between certain student demographic variables and factors which influence their decisions to participate in chosen philanthropic activities. These factors can be segmented into distinct categories, allowing for students’ motivations to be understood based upon their intrinsic motivations. Ultimately amongst participants, it appears students are guided by eight factors which influence their philanthropic motivation and/or engagement. With this knowledge, institutional leadership and development staff can gain a better understanding of what motivates current students to select the types of philanthropic activities, causes, and organizations they support, as well as how to tailor ask vehicles designed to appeal to the intrinsic motivators of students. / Educational Administration

Students who have transferred from either a community college or other four-year institution comprise about 38% of the undergraduate student population (Shapiro et al., 2018). However, only 42% of transfer students complete a degree in six years compared to 58% of those students who begin and end their educational career in the same institution (Shapiro et al., 2018). This study attempted to address gaps in transfer student degree completion through examination of participants’ characteristics, engagement, and satisfaction as a function of success. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of the participants in order to understand the essence of success and how that in turn relates to transfer students’ experience at the four-year institution with a mind toward understanding what supports are needed to enable transfer students to succeed. This is an especially important issue since it is economically disadvantaged students who see attending a community college as a way to manage costs to earning a bachelor’s degree. It appears that the perceived savings are not realized as the time to degree is actually lengthened. This was a mixed methods study which included a survey of the undergraduate student population within a public four-year institution’s College of Communication as well as individual interviews with participants. There were a total of 439 survey respondents and 19 interviews conducted. The survey used was based on the National Survey of College Graduates (2017) developed by the National Science Foundation for the US Census Bureau. Of the survey respondents, quantitative results indicated that transfer students at the college were more likely to be men, white and Mid-Atlantic state residents. The majority of transfer students had previously attended a community college prior to the four-year institution. Transfer students were also more apt to have enrolled in the spring semester and the majority of their reported GPAs fell within the 3.1-3.5 range. Aspects which were found to be significant for transfer students’ satisfaction were campus atmosphere and social opportunities. Additionally, being a transfer student, number of semesters attended, hours worked at a paying job, and hours spent playing video games had a positive impact on students’ satisfaction. The aspect which negatively influenced student satisfaction was hours spent involved with a club or school activity. Transfer students were also found to be less satisfied with advising, academic support services, and their academic progress. Qualitative results indicated themes relating to students’ academic and nonacademic experiences. The interviews elaborated upon and supported these findings. The interviews also indicated themes associated with how transfer students and non-transfer students define success, students’ strategies for success, as well as students’ access to information at the institution. These findings provide insight into transfer students’ experience, institutional engagement, and ultimately their perception of success. The implications from this study inform policy and practices for supporting transfer students’ experiences and degree attainment. Additional research is needed to further examine other nuances of transfer in higher education today such as dual enrollment programs, or internal transfer amongst different colleges within a broader institution. / Educational Administration

Doctoral program attrition has consistently remained an issue in higher education with approximately fifty to sixty percent of doctoral students leaving their degree programs without earning the degree. Of particular concern is the disparity between Black graduate students’ attrition rates and their peers. Less than half of Black doctoral students earn their degree within ten years. To address this challenge, the study considers the variables that affect Black doctoral students’ programmatic experiences. Mentors have often been cited as primary agent of doctoral program achievement. As key conductors of the socialization process, they have the ability to affect students’ experiences within their doctoral program. Due to the gap in doctoral degree attainment for Black students, this study sought to understand what influence Black doctoral students perceived mentoring and race to have on their graduate program experience. This collective case study was conducted with 15 current and recently graduated Black doctoral students. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gain an understanding of their doctoral program life. Using socialization theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to understand students’ expectations of mentoring and the perceived effect mentoring had on their doctoral program experience. Many participants automatically viewed their research advisor as a mentor. Critical Race Theory was also utilized to explore how racialized experiences played a common role in their mentoring and program experiences. Findings of the study point to close connections that Black students hope to have with mentors in their doctoral program. Black students are looking for mentors to provide detailed guidance through the doctoral program and beyond. The ideal is to build trusting relationships that grow beyond the professional. This includes mentors who will take the time to know them as a whole person beyond their life as a student. Students placed significant value of their mentors for helping to develop their skills as researchers and providing connections to build their professional network. Additionally, the findings illustrate that race is a part of the doctoral program experience at all times. Mentors who can create an environment to listen and understand that experience can often help Black students remain resilient in completing their degree. With regard to racialized experiences, often faculty were the key antagonists in these moments. Students cited experiences with microaggressions, being given less opportunities than White peers and feeling personally violated. Key recommendations based on findings include, developing CRT informed training for graduate faculty as they are key drivers in creating the academic environment Black doctoral students experience, reexamination of how we discuss research advisors. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

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