Master of Science / Department of Counseling & Student Development / Kenneth Hughey / The challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students on college and university campuses are many. For example, LGBT students face harassment and discrimination at significantly higher levels than their heterosexual peers, and are twice as likely to receive derogatory remarks (Rankin, Weber, Blumenfeld, & Frazer, 2010). As the visibility of LGBT college students and the adversity they face has increased, there is ever more pressure on college and universities to evaluate whether LGBT students’ needs are being met. A dependable method of determining this is to conduct an assessment of the campus climate for LGBT students. Campus climate can be consists of the mutually reinforcing relationship between the perceptions, attitudes, and expectations of both individuals and groups, as well as the actual patterns of interaction and behavior between individuals and groups (Cress, 2008). Thus, in order to assess a campus climate, one must determine the current perceptions, attitudes, and expectations that define the institution and its members. Campus climate has a significant impact upon students’ academic progress and achievement and their level of satisfaction with their university. Whether or not a student feels as though they matter on their campus is largely a result of the climate. Evaluations of campus climate for LGBT students allow administrations to uncover what inequalities may exist on their campus, which is the first step toward being able to correct them. There have been many methods of improving campus climate that have been effective at a variety of colleges and universities. Administrations that wish to provide LGBT students on their campus with a better experience should invest in as many of these practices as possible. The most important action in improving campus climate is to institute an LGBT resource center or office with a full-time staff member and significant office space. Other impactful strategies include establishing a Safe Zone or Allies program, encouraging LGBT students to form organizations for themselves and their allies, increasing the amount of interaction between LGBT students and faculty—especially LGBT faculty, and establishing a Queer Studies academic program.

Thesis advisor: Irwin Blumer / The transition from eighth grade to ninth grade is a critical time in a young person's educational career. Ninth grade programs and separate buildings for ninth graders have grown over the last ten years in an effort to meet their distinct needs. Research in this area reveals very little documentation of the teachers' voices on this subject. This researcher sought to add their perspective in identifying the salient features of effective ninth grade programs which make for a smooth transition to high school. More specifically, the researcher wanted to learn if teachers of only ninth graders believed that a separate facility eased the transition to high school. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2004. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration.

Thesis advisor: Ana Maria Martinez Aleman / Higher education has experienced an unprecedented growth in the number of Latino/Hispanic students. Unfortunately as the literature has revealed, many institutions have not had success in serving this population. By all accounts Hispanics are the youngest and fastest growing population in the United States enrolling in college. However, they have the lowest educational attainment levels in the nation. New population growth is beginning to sprawl into geographic areas unfamiliar with serving this minority population. In just a few short years demographic changes are forecast to forever impact the landscape of colleges across the country: Hispanic-serving institutions will be at the forefront of American higher education. At present, colleges are not sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of its future students. The purpose of this case study was to provide a detailed analysis of a single case, Miami Dade College West Campus. Through an information-rich case study, this researcher set out to examine how Miami Dade College West Campus could serve as a new model for effective Hispanic-serving institutions. Sources of evidence used for the analysis included interviews with members of the dominant coalition involved in planning the campus and document analysis with a particular focus on the strategic planning process. The findings of the case study identified certain themes as central to Miami Dade College West Campus’s effectiveness in serving Hispanic students. First, findings indicated a predominant student-centered institutional culture. Second, the campus developed a strong campus-community interdependence that mutually supported growth and success. Findings also suggested a comprehensive approach to racial and ethnic diversity across campus. Finally, as is supported in the literature, institutional leadership was an integral component of the institution’s ability to effectively educate Latino students. The implications of this research can provide guidance and support to institutions as national demographic shifts will demand the need for quality, focused information on Hispanic-serving institutions. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2008. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Paul Gray / The prevalence of sexual assaults on college campuses has been gaining more attention in recent years. Through 16 undergraduate interviews with both male and female students, college students’ attitudes about hookup culture, the role of sexual consent, and issues that they see surrounding college campus sexual assault were explored. Students felt as though they were not responsible for their own decisions; failed to empathize with, and often objectified, fellow students; expressed a problematic distinction between sexual assault and rape; and voiced a pressure to act in accordance with traditional gender norms. There needs to be a shift in the way college students are introduced to college including frank conversation among students about the impact their actions can have on their peers and themselves. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

The development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) guidelines for campuses and universities has evolved on a case-by-case basis and there is no standard format in the development of these guides. There are however, common elements in these guidelines. This study reviews the applications of Building Information Modeling (BIM) from the perspective of owners of higher education campus facilities and proposes a structured approach to develop documented guidelines to assist the owner’s staff in the use of BIM, primarily with existing facilities. More specifically, this study proposes a set of guidelines to assist the Facilities Management department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in using BIM for their existing campus facilities. Since 2005, WPI has been using some components of BIM in the design and construction of new facilities and has extended BIM uses to support facilities and space management in some of the existing buildings. Some positive experiences and benefits have been derived from these applications, but to date no formal and systematic approach has been established in documenting and organizing processes for the different BIM uses on campus. The objective of this research project is to conduct an extensive review of documented approaches and guidelines for BIM uses developed by other universities and incorporate the different experiences with the use of BIM at WPI to create a set of formal guidelines exclusively for WPI for the efficient implementation of BIM in future design, construction, renovation, facility, and space management of a facility. The research collected information from the WPI Facilities Management department through surveys and interviews, to better understand the current issues associated with facility management and space planning. A case study analysis that involved the use of 3D Building Information Models of several buildings on the WPI campus was performed to validate the possible use of the BIM in the efficient delivery of information for new and renovation projects as well as for its ability to benefit in the space planning process. Existing documented guidelines developed by five other universities that have pioneered the development of their guides were also reviewed to determine common elements in their BIM-based practices and to incorporate these when applicable into the BIM guide for WPI in such a way that will effectively contribute to the BIM adoption and standardization of procedures reflecting the unique characteristics of this institution. This study identifies the benefits of utilizing BIM and standardization through the BIM guide primarily for existing construction and facilities management. The attempt to identify commonalities and standard pieces to develop a BIM guide for WPI will help improve overall operational efficiency and productivity of the organization. This provides a unique opportunity to be engaged in the process of standardization, using existing content as a reference to achieve harmonization of concepts, terms, definitions and the overall structure or framework that the documented guide is delivered within. The outcome is a WPI-BIM guide which will help assist facility owners in developing an overall BIM strategy that supports the organization’s core goals, develops the necessary contract conditions, and generates implementation plans to successfully execute BIM within the organization.

This dissertation offers a history of white college students' relationship with alcohol between 1820 and 1933. The years that frame this study represent a long crisis regarding alcohol in the United States. A dramatic rise in alcohol consumption began around 1800, the negative consequences of which led growing numbers of Americans, for the first time, to associate social evils with alcohol use. These initial realizations gave rise to a reform movement that ebbed and flowed over the next hundred years, reaching the pinnacle of its success in 1920, when national Prohibition became law. During this long century, college students' alcohol use often served as microcosm of developments within society. This study relies primarily, though not exclusively, on three types of sources that provide different perspectives into both the behavior and the concerns of student drinking. Using a large collection of student diaries, chapters one and two consider college students' alcohol use in the forty years preceding the U.S. Civil War. Chapter one considers the behavioral patterns and significance of college men's drinking; chapter two focuses primarily on the influence of the temperance reform movement on college students. Chapter three considers depictions of student drinking in twenty-two "college novels"--works of fiction set predominantly on campuses with students as their protagonists--published between 1869 and 1933. Finally, chapter four draws on the surviving administrative records at four institutions to consider the effects on campus discipline of national Prohibition. Across the nation's long century of conflict over alcohol, four themes emerge regarding college student drinking. First, drinking behaviors and attitudes toward alcohol on campus have long reflected those in the larger society. College students' alcohol use has generally mirrored that of adults in the segments of society from which they hailed or those hose ranks they wished to join upon graduation. The second theme is that the negative consequences of college student drinking have been ever-present and widespread. College students' alcohol use has resulted in negative health effects, interfered with their academic obligations, and coincided with vandalism and violence. Closely related to these negative consequences, college students' alcohol use has long presented problems to college authorities. These academic leaders primarily addressed alcohol-related misbehavior through the campus discipline process. Although college authorities enjoyed seemingly absolute discretion in terms of campus discipline, they seldom punished student drinkers harshly. Finally, drinking on campus has long been a mark of privilege. During all the years of this study, the heaviest and most regular alcohol use occurred at the institutions that enrolled the most privileged students, primarily eastern men's colleges. Within both elite and less prestigious institutions, wealthy white men consumed more alcohol than their less economically advantaged peers. By studying college students' alcohol use in relation to societal developments over a long century, the chapters that follow offer a largely untold story of student life and provide important perspective on our contemporary concerns.

Previous research about undergraduate students with nontraditional college experiences has focused primarily on students' demographic characteristics, their deficits compared to residential students, and their risk for attrition. This case study conducted at a university branch campus in the Midwest examined undergraduate college experiences at a campus where nontraditional college experiences are typical. Case study findings revealed that college students were defined by their rich and detailed biography of prior life experiences, successes and challenges for student transition, and experiences with academic and social engagement. Findings also revealed students' strong sense of motivation and ability to thrive and succeed in college.

There is an increased risk in college aged students to engage in problematic substance use. The culture and perceived college experience endorse substance use, whether it is through alcohol, marijuana, or other related drugs. Students are susceptible to these behaviors that can later turn into addictions. Literature supports that this population benefits from the availability of on-campus support groups and services related to substance use. This study provides insight into the perceived effectiveness of campus-based services that are directed to assisting students with substance use. More specifically, this study explored the views of staff members that deliver these services in order to gain insight about how students benefit from accessing these resources. The data was gathered by conducting face-to-face interviews in which responses were audio recorded on an electronic device and later transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts were analyzed and coded for themes and concepts that surfaced throughout the participants’ responses. The results obtained demonstrate significant aspects of how services can impact the student’s struggles with substance use. Ultimately, this research builds on the need for this population to have campus-based services accessible and the importance of integrating social work practice to further assist them.

Many low-income, first-generation college students have no other choice but to work to help offset the costs associated with earning a college degree (Savoca, 2016). Meanwhile, colleges and universities have the opportunity to leverage on-campus employment as a high-impact practice (McClellan, Creager, & Savoca, 2018). High-impact practices (HIPs) are known to increase retention, persistence, and completion (Kuh, 2008). If structured with intentionality and purpose, on-campus jobs can offer low-income, first-generation college students the opportunity to participate in a HIP, while simultaneously earning an income (McClellan et al., 2018). The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore on-campus employment as a High Impact Practice (HIP) at Intentional Validation University (IVU). IVU is four-year university that serves a disproportionate number of students who are low-income and first-generation. In addition, IVU had an explicit organizational commitment to incorporating HIPs to achieve higher levels of student performance, learning, and development. Data sources included 26 in-depth semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. In addition to cultural and structural issues related to communication, the findings revealed that there were two contrasting student employment sub-cultures. There was the validating sub-culture that serves as an example from which the larger campus can learn. The opposing sub-culture was one that was invalidating to student employees. The student employee experiences with on-campus employment varied based on their working environment, which was most often influenced by their supervisor. The intentional supervisor created a validating office-environment that elevated the student employment experience to a HIP. Additional benefits of a validating subculture included further engagement with institution and access to and activation of social capital. Based on these findings, recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are advanced.

Colleges and universities continually seek to foster the leadership development of undergraduate students through curricular and co-curricular opportunities and experiences. This study examined the effects and potential contributions of participation in campus-based leadership trainings on college students' leadership development with special consideration for gender and racial background. To better understand the relationship between campus-based trainings and leadership development, data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education (WNS) was utilized. The WNS was a multi-institutional, longitudinal dataset made up of 47 four-year colleges and universities from 21 states throughout the United States. This study mark's one of the first multi-year, multi-institution longitudinal studies to investigate the relationship between campus-based leadership trainings and leadership development. The results of the study pointed to several over-arching themes. The first theme was that a student's background and leadership experience prior to college matter. Next, a student's curricular success matters, and influences their leadership gains throughout all aspects of the SCM. The interactions students have with peers who are different from themselves matters. Leadership development opportunities need to be intentionally designed. Finally, campus-based leadership trainings offer a potential programmatic option for institutions to help develop their students as socially responsible leaders, regardless of backgrounds and other experiences.