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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology / Kenneth F. Hughey / Kay A. Taylor / This qualitative multiple case study explored the campus climate and sense of belonging of Latino/a undergraduate student participants at a predominately White university. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships among several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. In depth interviews regarding participants’ perceptions of their experience identified how they perceived their campus climate in and outside of the academic classroom. The findings revealed how the participants’ perceptions influenced their desire to graduate, commitment to, and sense of belonging. Prominent themes that emerged were: student identity, mi casa es su casa, and class size matters. The results indicated that the participants had mixed feelings regarding their experiences in and out of class, which affected their perceptions of the campus climate and their commitment to the university. Additional prominent findings were: mostly positive academic advising experiences; student organizations and advisors are an important part of the campus climate; the importance of familial support in the participants’ sense of belonging; and the relationships between mothers and their sons/daughters. Participants identified offices and programs on campus that provide a positive campus climate, sense of belonging, and best serve Latino/a undergraduate students. The participants’ perceptions of the campus climate were related to their sense of belonging. The results contribute to the research addressing campus climate and sense of belonging for Latino/a undergraduate students overall, including strategies for their retention. Implications for practice and future research are identified.

This study examines Black students’ perceptions of their campus climate for perspective taking and how their perceptions influence their participation in high impact practices. Using ordinary least squares regression, I analyzed how the psychological climate, behavioral climate, and institutional structural diversity predict Black students’ perceptions and engagement in comparison to their Asian American, Hawaiian, Latinx, Multiracial, Native American, and White peers. Results from this study revealed that Black students have a positive perception of their campus climate for perspective taking. For the most part, Black students’ perceptions of campus climate were not significantly associated with participating in high-impact practices. However, Black students that had more positive perceptions of sources of support for engaging with diverse perspectives participated in high impact practices like study abroad programs and capstone projects. There were significant differences between Black students and Latinx and Asian American students in their perceptions of the general campus climate for perspective taking. Latinx students have a more positive perception than Black students, while Asian American students have a less positive perception than Black students. Black students were also more likely to participate in study abroad and required diversity courses than were Multiracial students. Among all students, there was a relationship between perceptions of the general campus climate and engagement in several high impact practices.

Despite attention given to the increasing diversity in higher education, greater barriers to college access and degree attainment exist for many minoritized groups in comparison to dominant groups. Research illustrates that campus climate for diversity, a systemic concept, plays a critical role in the success of minoritized groups. Additionally, institutional accreditation is a critical process, and it may be a catalyst for systemic change. However, there is little research on the relationship between the regional accreditation process and institutional change, with even less research on the impact of accreditation on campus climate for diversity. To address this gap in literature, this study utilized a descriptive qualitative methodology with three main sources of data for analysis—eight semi-structured interviews with accreditation liaison officers (ALOs), the Institutional Report, and the WSCUC site team visit report for each study participant campus. Data were analyzed using the multicontextual model for diverse learning environments, a multidimensional model for campus climate for diversity. Significant themes related to accreditation and institutional change in general included a focus on other mechanisms of change, a clear relationship between WSCUC accreditation and institutional change, and the need to consider mediating factors during the WSCUC process. Inconsistency related to the WSCUC Equity and Inclusion Policy, ALO skepticism about this possible relationship, and a lack of multicontextual emphasis emerged as themes related to campus climate for diversity. This study provides many practical recommendations to better leverage the accreditation process for positive institutional change—especially changes related to campus climate for diversity.

This study investigated the perceptions undergraduate students of color held of their experiences while attending a private, predominately white, institution and the impact that perception had on their sense of belonging and academic experiences. This two-phase, sequential mixed methods study obtained statistical, quantitative results from a sample of students of color and then followed up with a few individuals to probe and explore those results in more depth. In the quantitative portion, the concept of stigma vulnerability was explored utilizing the Prejudice Perception Assessment Scale . A non-experimental correlational design was utilized to ascertain which variables were predictive of students' stigma vulnerability and whether differences in stigma vulnerability existed between Asian, African American, and Latino groups once gender, major, semesters on campus, and home community diversity were accounted for. In the qualitative segment, phenomenology was used to investigate student perceptions through focus group discussion. Unstructured focus group discussions were employed to investigate perceptions of the college experience between students who scored higher and lower on the PPAS. The quantitative results of the study indicated that none of the variables hypothesized to be predictive of stigma vulnerability were found to be statistically significant. However, the qualitative findings revealed interesting similarities in perception between students with higher and lower PPAS scores. The focus group interviews revealed the following themes: Stigma/Tokenism, Racism, Inequitable Treatment, White Student Insensitivity, Privilege, Competency Testing, Nature of Diversity, Insignificance of Diversity, and Uncomfortable Climate. By examining how students of color perceived the campus environment, including perceptions of social interactions, educators can begin to take progressive and proactive action toward building an inclusive environment that models meaningful diversity. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.