College student suicide rates are rising, and housing and residential life staff, both professional and student staff, are more likely than other campus staff to encounter traumatic events involving students’ suicide ideations, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. This qualitative study includes the results of interviews with 11 housing and residence life staff who had experienced an on-campus completed student suicide. We sought to elicit the affected staff’s recommendations for addressing and preventing campus suicides and the resources they found valuable in responding to these traumatic events. Recommendations include annual suicide prevention training for RAs and professional staff involving the counseling center, intervention teams comprising staff from across campus, personal counseling, time away from work for affected staff, and assistance from campus chaplains and supervisors.

College student suicide is increasing but little research addresses it. We examine student-housing-staff responses to student suicide using meaning making, trauma theory, and trauma-informed counseling. The phenomenological study included 11 participants who experienced student suicide on campus. Student staff experienced trauma, guilt, and responsibility. Counseling was recommended, but whether student staff received counseling remained unclear. Some indications of meaning making followed the suicide. Implications for practice, policy, and research are provided.

Purpose This study aims to examine North American master's programs in higher education administration, leadership and student affairs; the extent to which these programs incorporate diversity coursework; and their reasons for doing so. Graduate programs must prepare practitioners who are able to work effectively with multiple groups of students, ameliorate persistence and graduation gaps, and create more socially just campuses. Design/methodology/approach Using an open-ended questionnaire and document analysis, the authors analyzed the extent to which and why these master's programs incorporate courses and course material on diversity. Findings Exactly half of higher education leadership (50%) and a small majority of student affairs (52%) programs require some type of diversity course, while only 42% of higher education administration programs do so. Reported reasons for including such coursework include students' demand for such courses, the centrality of diversity to university missions and standards in the field. Research limitations/implications Research on faculty perceptions regarding the need for diversity courses with a focus on interest convergence may be productive. Practical implications Program directors should ensure that coursework on diversity is required, and that faculty teaching these courses are comfortable discussing these topics to prepare students to work with diverse groups in multiple contexts. Originality/value This study uses multiple methods (document analysis, open-ended questionnaire of program directors) to analyze programs and program design intentions. The authors use the critical race theory framework's tenet of interest convergence to understand program rationales.

In this paper, we detail a convergent mixed-methods survey of faculty teaching applied social statistics courses, analyzed through a framework of learning theory. The survey explored faculty perceptions and use of recommended strategies for statistics education, perceived barriers to student success, and general recommendations for instruction in applied statistics courses. Results indicate some consistency in practice with the recommendations in the literature, but a lack of consistency was noted for strategies such as student reflections, allowing multiple attempts on assignments, and others. Particular attention is paid to connecting the results to learning theory with the discussion framed around a Statistics Self-Actualization model based on Maslow’s 1943 theory of Hierarchy of Needs. First published June 2020 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

Aim/Purpose: Service Learning is not used in graduate education to the extent it is in un-dergraduate education. This paper utilizes a developmental evaluation methodological approach and a strategic partnership conceptual framework in examining a service learning course in which higher education master students gain valuable experience they can use in their careers while assisting high school students as they apply to college. Background: Little research has been done on service learning at the graduate level. Moreover, although service learning is growing on campuses, master of higher education students may not have experience with it. Additionally, gaps in college access by socioeconomic status and race continue to exist, yet little research has been done on how service recipients experience service learning. This paper evaluates a service learning course and addresses the service recipients who were high school students at the time and the experiences of graduate students who were enrolled in the course. The research questions are the following. To what extent do high school recipients report an increase in college application behaviors from the beginning to the end of the service learning experience? How do high school recipients describe their experiences with the graduate students? How do Master of Higher Education students describe their knowledge of the college admission process as a result of their experiences with service learning? How do they describe their experiences with service learning? What skills, if any, do they report improved as a result of the service learning experience? Methodology: The paper uses developmental program evaluation methodological ap-proach, and data collection strategies include survey responses and inter-views with former high school students as well as document analysis of former graduate students’ reflective essays and interviews with them. Contribution: Little is documented regarding graduate student experiences with service learning, particularly Higher Education master programs. Additionally, little research exists on service recipients experiences. Findings: The service learning course was helpful to the high school students’ college application process, and students reported increases in college application behaviors as a result of the service learning project. The course also strengthened the higher education master students’ communication skills, interpersonal skills, and awareness of diversity and equity issues. Recommendations for Practitioners: Service learning experiences can be utilized to strengthen higher education master students’ skills, and detailed information regarding the process of creating a service learning course are provided in the paper. Recommendation for Researchers: The paper recommends additional research on service learning in graduate programs and additional research on the experiences of service recipients and community partners. Impact on Society: This paper impacts master students who plan to work on college campuses and strengthen their skills in several areas that should positively affect the future students with whom they work. Additionally, the course resulted in high school students reporting increased college application behaviors, such as taking admission tests, seeking letters of recommendation, and writing essays, and may increase the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds who successfully enroll in college. Future Research: Additional research on service learning in graduate programs and additional research on the experiences of service learning recipients should follow this study.

The purpose of this study is to explore the association between student achievement and Black sorority membership, specifically within the four National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations. African Americans’ college persistence and graduation rates continue to lag behind those of White and Asian American students (NCES, 2011). While much attention is paid to African American males, research on African American women is needed to understand their challenges and concerns (Chambers, Bush, & Walpole, 2009; Howard-Hamilton 2004; Haniff, 1991; Matthews & Jackson, 1991). Black Greek Sororities are a unique space on predominantly white campuses and African American sororities historically have assisted female African American college students’ persistence and graduation rates (Harris, 1998; Phillips, 2005); yet, more recently, African American fraternities and sororities have been criticized (Kimbrough, 2009; Parks & Spencer, 2013; Phillips, 2005). Given research that has found that Black fraternities are not necessarily fulfilling their academic goals (Harper & Harris, 2006; Johnson, Walpole, & Chambers, 2011), we believe that examining academic achievement within historically Black sororities is critical. This study confirms that African American women involved in NPHC sororities are not immune from some of the same academic issues that have been reported about their male peers (Harper & Harris, 2006; Harper, 2008).

This inquiry is an exploration of the educational trajectories of African American women community college students. We compare the persistence of African American women to African American men and to all women college students using the 1996/2001 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Survey and the 1993/2003 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Survey. We find that the propensity of African American women to enroll notwithstanding, African American women attending community colleges are less likely to graduate than their African American male peers and than their female peers. However, we also find that African American women who start at community colleges and complete a Bachelor degree are similar to African American men and all women who pursue graduate degrees. This implies that greater attention to the trajectories of African American women through the community college is warranted as the majority of those entering postsecondary education do so at the community college. Assisting these women in succeeding in community colleges and in transferring is critical because Bachelor degree attainment is key to ensuring equitable outcomes.

Students from low socioeconomic status (SES) families who attend college generally are better off than their parents were, but are these students as well off as their high SES peers? The effect of attendance at an elite college on income, educational aspirations, and educational attainment for students from low SES versus high SES backgrounds is examined. The study used data from the national study of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program 1985 Freshman Survey and the 1989 and 1994 Follow-Up Surveys. The study design includes three sections: (1) descriptive data for comparisons of low and high SES; (2) logistic regression to determine variables associated with graduate school attendance; and (3) logistic regressions to explicate the interactions between variables. Low SES students who attended highly selective colleges and universities, despite their ambition and ability, had distinct patterns of investment within the college environment and different and lower levels of educational attainment and aspirations than did their high SES peers 9 years after entering college. Although low SES students were almost certainly better off economically than their families of origin, this progress did not translate into equity. Areas of future research, such as differential impact and peer selectivity, are highlighted. Appendix A is a list of variables. (Contains 6 tables and 47 references.) (EMK) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** Social Mobility and HighlySelective Colleges: The Effect of Social Class Background on College Involvement and Outcomes.

This study focuses on students with disabilities' (SWD) transition to and experiences in college using both quantitative and qualitative data. SWD report similar levels of interaction with advisors and faculty, despite the additional contact that accommodations typically require. SWD also persist at lower rates than do their non-disabled peers. On campuses, SWD must contend with decisions about disclosure, seeking accomodations, self-advocacy, college bureaucracy, and time management. Recommendations are to include disabilities as one aspect of campus diversity within orientation programming and created orientation programs specifically designed for SWD and their parents.

This study examines the college transition of students who participated in a summer bridge program. Three surveys collected longitudinal data on these students' aspirations and academic and social activities. Data provided from institutional research on their academic progress were also analyzed. A control group composed of non-participating entering students was used for comparison. Findings indicate that program participants' academic and social engagement increased over the first two years of the program, and the retention rate in the fall of their junior year was higher than that of the control group. There were no significant differences between the program students and the control group in the numbers of credits attempted or in grade point average. Control group students did earn significantly more credits than program students during two semesters.

This study focuses on how social class affects the college experiences and outcomes for African American students in 4-year colleges and universities. Using a national, longitudinal data base, the findings indicate that low SES African American students have less contact with faculty, study less, are less involved with student organizations, work more, and have lower grades than do their high SES peers or all African American students. Furthermore, 9 years after entering college, low SES students report lower incomes, lower rates of degree attainment and lower aspirations than their high SES peers, and were less likely to have attended graduate school. Logistic regression results indicate that sex, college GPA, and plans following college significantly affect the likelihood that a student will attend graduate school.

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of, knowledge regarding, and preparation for standardized college admissions exams of 227 urban African American and Latino high school students. Findings include the students’lack of information about the test and their reliance on their relatively uninformed and unavailable school officials for information, preparation strategies, strategies for achieving high scores, stress level due to the necessity of high test scores, and beliefs that the tests are an unfair obstacle. Students’knowledge of and strategies for preparing and taking the tests are conceptualized as cultural capital and habitus utilizing a Bourdieuian framework.

This study investigated college experiences and outcomes for low and high SES students utilizing data from a longitudinal database. Low SES students engaged in fewer extracurricular activities, worked more, studied less, and reported lower GPAs than their high SES peers. Nine years after entering college, the low SES students had lower incomes, educational attainment, and graduate school attendance than high SES students. These experiential and outcome differences are tied to differences in cultural capital and habitus.

This report examines the evidence available on improving school quality through implementation of the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. The Baldrige criteria address many issues other failed educational efforts have not, including leadership, systems thinking, changes in school culture, and data-driven decision making. The report is intended to provide useful information about the current state of Baldrige applications and to make useful recommendations regarding potential Baldrige K-12 implementation, evaluation, and research. Many published Total Quality Management and Baldrige articles describe a single school or district implementation, and some of the results these implementations have achieved. However, these reports sometimes include surprisingly little detail. Detailed information and comprehensive data are the keys to fulfilling the promise of Baldrige. The literature reviewed for this report reveals that implementing Baldrige successfully involves a longterm perspective and a focus on changing core processes, especially teaching and learning. Training in Baldrige concepts and utilizing quality tools are essential, as is working together in diverse and dedicated teams toward common objectives. Leadership is critical for success. Successful implementations are not easy to achieve, and much more information is needed to enhance success. (Contains 68 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the ori inal document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION office of Educational Research and Imorsvernent ED1)1CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Vrhis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy