Earn College Degrees Research Articles

Inclusive Tertiary Education: A Tale of Untold Stories among People Deprived of Liberty (PDL) Under Probation

This study phenomenologically evaluated the lives and experiences of two (2) individuals who earned college degrees at the Glan Institute of Technology (GIT). These individuals were former inmates sentenced by court in a legal proceeding due to culpable violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 in the Philippines, which in the latter part was given probation status by the court. The findings revealed that these individuals were given the opportunity to study and eventually complete a college degree at a local community college funded by the Local Government Unit of Glan, Sarangani Province. According to this study, the use of shabu among these individuals was likely influenced by their peers before imprisonment. This research also explored the key concepts that explain how shabu negatively impacts relationships among family members.

What qualities do lifelong friends and good leaders have in common?

Earlier this summer I traveled to Lake Athens, Texas, just outside Dallas, for another gathering of five high school friends. We graduated high school together and set about earning college degrees, building careers, marrying, and raising children. We kept up with each other here and there, but for the most part, we lived separate lives. With the advent of Facebook, we all reconnected. In 2015, with careers firmly established and children raised and gone, we decided to have our own little high school reunion at a lake house belonging to one of the friends. We’ve met up six times since then. We also did weekly Zoom calls during the pandemic and set up a group text. We communicate with each other often.

What qualities do lifelong friends and good leaders have in common?

Earlier this summer I traveled to Lake Athens, Texas, just outside Dallas, for another gathering of five high school friends. We graduated high school together and set about earning college degrees, building careers, marrying, and raising children. We kept up with each other here and there, but for the most part, we lived separate lives. With the advent of Facebook, we all reconnected. In 2015, with careers firmly established and children raised and gone, we decided to have our own little high school reunion at a lake house belonging to one of the friends. We’ve met up six times since then. We also did weekly Zoom calls during the pandemic and set up a group text. We communicate with each other often.

Breaking the Cycle: Women’s Experience in Postsecondary Agricultural and Extension Education

The “leaky educational pipeline” metaphor refers to the steady tapering off of women obtaining graduate degrees and reaching the level of a tenured faculty member, although the number of women earning college degrees has surpassed males since the 1980s. Women are disproportionately represented among faculty and leadership at land-grant institutions and in the agricultural education profession. The purpose of this study was to provide a synthesis of women’s experience in postsecondary agricultural and extension education (AEE) by describing the common and diverging challenges, opportunities, and mentoring experiences of women faculty and graduate students in the profession. The study was a textual narrative synthesis of two preliminary studies which provided an updated profile of the current organizational climate and mentoring experiences of women faculty and women graduate students in AEE. Three overarching themes with 11 categories emerged to summarize the experiences of women in AEE: (a) navigating a traditional academic system, (b) operating in a male-dominated discipline, and (c) influencing change in the profession. These findings challenge the AEE profession to critically acknowledge women’s experiences and begin looking outside academia for solutions to create a more inclusive organizational culture that values gender diversity.

Describing College Success Indicators for First-Generation College Students in Colleges of Agriculture

Earning a bachelor’s degree has been documented as a potential social equalizer in American society. Yet, it has also been documented that first-generation college students (FGCS) have incongruently accessed and earned college degrees. This phenomenon has potentially perpetuated life-long differences in social outcomes in American society. As research continues to explain the experiences of FGCS, little has been done to explore differences for FGCS by college major or affiliation. However, a small but growing body of researchers are examining the experiences and outcomes of college of agriculture and related sciences students, specifically those enrolled at land grant institutions. The researchers in this study sought to describe college success indicators including on-campus involvement, leadership, and sense of belonging by generational status, and college affiliation at a large, midwestern, public, research-intensive institution. Overall, it was found that no differences were reported by generational status or college affiliation for the investigated college success indicators. These findings are different than previous literature in that FGCS were not lesser than their peers. Consequently, these findings add to the understanding of FGCS college experiences insofar as college affiliation may be playing a mitigating role in disparities among FGCS.

An Insufficient Canon: The Popol Wuj, Book of Mormon, and Other Scriptures

An Insufficient Canon: The Popol Wuj, Book of Mormon, and Other Scriptures

Strategies for innovative teaching and learning Part 1: Foundational discussion of online learning technology

The evolution from traditional on campus education to the current distance education modalities using online learning and technology systems have changed how higher education is delivered to thousands of students and faculty. Technology is changing how faculty teach and how students earn higher education degrees. Many students are seeking the flexibility, and independence online distance education offers to earn college degrees often without leaving home. However, some faculty may not be experienced at developing, delivering, and evaluating online distance courses to meet the needs of student learners. This initial paper will guide faculty through a short history of distance learning, the positives and negatives of online learning vs traditional on campus learning, advantages and disadvantages of distance online learning, and the initial considerations for establishing an online course.

Paths to Mobility: A Longitudinal Evaluation of Earnings Among Latino/a DACA Recipients in California

Undocumented immigration status is a structural barrier to socioeconomic mobility. The regularization of legal status may therefore promote the socioeconomic mobility of formerly undocumented immigrants. The 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program provided protection against deportation and access to work authorization for eligible undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. While studies using cross-sectional data find that DACA led to improved socioeconomic status, no studies have examined the socioeconomic status of DACA recipients over time and few have disaggregated among groups of DACA recipients. Drawing from one of the only longitudinal studies of DACA recipients, we use growth curve models to estimate individuals’ wage trajectories from the year prior to DACA receipt up to 77 months post-DACA receipt among Latino/a DACA participants in California. In this sample, DACA is associated with improved earnings trajectories for recipients, compared with nonrecipients. Among DACA recipients, there is variation in earnings growth by stage of the life course, as measured by age and educational attainment. Notably, DACA tenure appears to be particularly beneficial for individuals who attain DACA at earlier ages and who earn college degrees. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of immigration laws and policies in structuring immigrant integration and socioeconomic mobility in the United States.

DITTO for Gen Z: A framework for leveraging the uniqueness of the new generation

Generation Z, or Gen Z, represents 24% of the U.S. population and is very different from earlier generations. A higher proportion of Gen Zers are earning college degrees, and they are now moving to the next phase in which they will constitute the predominant majority of the incoming workforce. Gen Z faced an unusual set of technology-driven circumstances while growing up and thus bring a distinct set of characteristics into the workplace. We offer a new research-based framework, DITTO, which encapsulates specific recommendations for organizations on diversity, individualism and teamwork, technology, and organizational supports. DITTO serves as a useful mnemonic to help managers recall specific ways to support Gen Zers and leverage the strengths of Gen Zers to benefit the organization and the workforce. Research shows that Gen Zers are more open to diversity and more individualistic and technology-driven than other generations. To the extent that companies use the DITTO framework, the more attractive they should be to Gen Z workers; but the principles of this framework also extend beyond Gen Zers to existing workforce with similar efficacy.

Baccalaureates or Burdens? Complicating "Reasonable Accommodations" for American College Students with Disabilities

This paper examines the controversy surrounding American college students' use of disability accommodations, a process many find unfair or undue, in two ways: (1) by critically unpacking the processes for obtaining accommodations to highlight intersectional issues of who has—or is barred from—access to such services; and (2) by using a rhetorical lens to analyze how the term "accommodation" influences perceptions of disabled students. By combining these processual and rhetorical approaches, this work uncovers significant issues regarding how university students with disabilities are treated on college campuses. Such research is important because disabled individuals are less than half as likely as their nondisabled peers to earn college degrees. Thus, despite ADA laws and pushes for inclusivity and diversity on college campuses, the American higher education system continues to fail a significant part of the nation's population.

Family Socioeconomic Status and Early Life Mortality Risk in the United States.

We examine the association between several dimensions of parental socioeconomic status (SES) and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among children and youth (ages 1-24) in the United States. We use Cox proportional hazard models to estimate all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk based on data from the 1998 to 2015 National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality Files (NHIS-LMFs), restricted to children and youth ages 1-17 at the time of survey followed through age 24, or the end of the follow-up period in 2015 (N = 377,252). Children and youth in families with lower levels of mother's education, father's education, and/or family income-to-needs ratio exhibit significantly higher all-cause mortality risk compared with children and youth living in higher SES families. For example, compared to children and youth living with mothers who earned college degrees, those living with mothers who have not graduated high school experience 40% higher risk of early life mortality over the follow-up period, due in part to higher mortality risks of unintentional injuries and homicides. Similarly, children/youth whose fathers did not graduate high school experience a 41% higher risk of dying before age 25 compared to those with fathers who completed college. Today's children and youth experience clear disparities in mortality risk across several dimensions of parental SES. As the U.S. continues to lag behind other high-income countries in health and mortality, more attention and resources should be devoted to improving children's health and well-being, including the family and household contexts in which American children live.

Education Subsidies and Bad Schools: Breaking the Causal Link

Government subsidies for higher education suffer from serious design defects that contribute to seemingly contradictory problems — (1) too few individuals earn college degrees because the United States underinvests in prospective students and (2) too many students enroll in bad schools that leave them and society worse off than before they enrolled. Why would students overinvest in bad schools while underinvesting in education generally? Regarding underinvestment, many scholars have commented on how current aid is poorly targeted and fails to adequately encourage potential students who would otherwise not enroll in and graduate from an institution of higher education to do so. Regarding overinvestment, while many theories have been proposed, such as misleading advertising, an important but overlooked reason is that too high a percentage of student aid ends up encouraging prospective students to invest in bad schools. This misdirected aid exacerbates other problems that can lead prospective students to enroll in bad schools and can even be the sole reason a student chooses to enroll in a bad school. And while government regulations do attempt to prevent bad schools from receiving aid, those regulations are not working. To succeed, policymakers need to clearly define what a bad school is and understand bad schools’ root causes. After proposing a definition (a school in which the aggregated matriculating students’ estimated return, including personal consumption, is negative), I argue that bad schools are generally caused by two problems — unprepared students and underperforming schools. Schools target unprepared students who will not benefit from enrolling to obtain government aid. Unprepared students enroll due to a combination of market failures and badly designed subsidies. Schools are also able to underperform compared to their peers because of the flawed design of subsidies and related market failures. Current government regulations somewhat target these problems, but struggle due to the lack of a coherent underlying philosophy and a failure to more directly target the underlying issues. After discussing how the design of subsidies contributes to the problems, I propose possible reforms, including adding several indicators of school performance to the Government’s Gainful Employment Rule, which currently has just one real proxy (debt-to-earnings).

Why Do College Graduates Behave More Healthfully than Those Who Are Less Educated?

College graduates live much healthier lives than those with less education, but research has yet to document with certainty the sources of this disparity. This study examines why U.S. young adults who earn college degrees exhibit healthier behavior than those with less education. I use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which offers information on education and health behaviors across adolescence and young adulthood (N=14,265). Accounting for selection into college degree attainment substantially reduces the associations between college degree attainment and health behavior, but college degree attainment demonstrates a strong causal effect on young adult health. Financial, occupational, social, cognitive, and psychological resources explain less than half of the association between college degree attainment and health behavior. The healthier behaviors of college graduates are the result of sorting into educational attainment, embedding of human capital, and mechanisms other than socioeconomic and psychosocial resources.

Envisioning and enacting class mobility: The routine constructions of the agentic self

This paper investigates the cultural mechanisms that enable some working-class youth to achieve upward mobility, operationalized as the attainment of a four-year college degree. Most sociological literature finds that culture reproduces class status by transmitting a particular kind of self. However, a growing body of literature examines how psychological traits such as future orientation, a sense of control over one’s life, and persistence lead to different outcomes within the same group. We build a bridge between these literatures using narrative theory. We argue that stories of the self – and how that self relates to the future – are contingent, developed through ongoing social interactions with adults and gate-keeping institutions. Our data consist of interview and life history data with 90 working-class and 129 middle-class young adults. We find that upwardly mobile working-class respondents who earn college degrees embody a stronger sense of “the agentic self” than their continuing working-class peers. We demonstrate that these cultural differences are the result of everyday, routine conversations and interactions with adults that create and sustain the agentic self. However, we find that successfully performing the agentic self demands procedural knowledge, material resources, and skills that remain unequally distributed across social classes.

Inequality: Underrepresentation of African American Males in U. S. Higher Education

Although the percentage of Blacks earning college degrees has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, Blacks earn only 10% of college degrees, 12% of graduate degrees, and 7% of doctoral degrees (U. S. Census Bureau, 2013). Furthermore, Blacks are more likely to attend lower-quality institutions and less likely to graduate (Mettler, 2014). This translates into possibly fewer Black men completing degrees in public affairs education and seeking public service. If we are to secure a representative bureaucracy (Krislov, 2013; Naff, 2001) in which both public administrators and college faculty mirror the nation’s demographics, then we must ensure that Black males have equal access to an affordable, quality college education resulting in degree completion. In this article, we examine disparities in higher education along three procedural areas: (a) access, (b) affordability, and (c) attainment. We provide substantive policy recommendations toward ensuring both access and degree attainment for all individuals regardless of race or income.

K‐12 STEM Outreach: Ushering in the Next Generation of Scientists

Students likely to major in and earn college degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields are those whose curiosity about STEM careers is piqued at an early age. At the K–12 level, this interest can be enhanced through hands‐on learning, projects with real life context and relevance, and contact with mentors working in these fields.The Interdisciplinary Science and Research (ISR) program at Stratford STEM Magnet High School in Nashville, TN has capitalized on a unique school/university partnership that utilizes a co‐teaching model pairing high school science teachers with Vanderbilt University scientists. The primary teaching strategy is inquiry‐based, incorporating multiple science and math disciplines into the coursework, promoting a facilitated learning model that relies heavily on the scientific method. In a school where the population is 74% minority and 81% of the students are considered economically disadvantaged, ISR provides a rigorous elective to challenge students in STEM disciplines, utilizing project‐based, real world learning.Students in ISR have consistently shown gains when compared to their peers including a 2.7 point increase on the ACT. Additionally, 69% of these students scored Proficient or Advanced on Algebra I and 59% on Biology I end of course exams compared to 33% and 13% of their peers, respectively. When surveyed, students report gains in critical thinking skills, improved public speaking ability, and increased adeptness in working collaboratively. This data emphasizes the need at the K‐12 level for students to be exposed to STEM professionals enhancing STEM content knowledge. While many scientists focus solely on the advancement of discovery and understanding of scientific knowledge, the value of sharing this knowledge with K‐12 students cannot be ignored.

Modeling Successful STEM High Schools in the United States: An Ecology Framework

This study aims to generate a conceptual framework for specialized Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) schools. To do so, we focused on literature and found specialized STEM schools have existed for over 100 years and recently expanded nationwide. The current perception for these schools can be described as unique environments including advanced curriculum, expert teachers, and opportunities for internships and immersion. Researchers have categorized these schools with three types: (a) selective STEM schools, (b) inclusive STEM schools, and (c) schools with STEM-focused career and technical education (CTE). Finding from the studies exploring college and career readiness of students attending these schools revealed students from specialized STEM schools are performing slightly better on high-stake mathematics and science tests in comparison with students in traditional schools. Studies also showed students from specialized STEM schools are more interested in STEM, more willing to attend classes, more likely to pass state tests, and more likely to earn college degrees. After synthesizing the literature, we created a conceptual framework of effective learning environments for specialized STEM schools using an ecology metaphor. This framework included actors (students, teachers, community leaders, and role models), contextual factors (learning environments, curriculum, instructional strategies, advanced coursework, and technology use), and actions (teaching, learning, immersion, communication, partnering, mentoring, support, and assessment).

The Impact of Single-Sex Education on African American Reading Achievement: An Analysis of an Urban Middle School’s Reform Effort

IntroductionThe academic underperformance of African American students continues to be a serious issue in American public schools. Despite the increased rhetoric surrounding the racial disparities in American public schools, evidence suggests that African American student achievement continues to lag (Schott Foundation, 2008). Most notably, African American male achievement continues to cause concern for communities, school systems, and policymakers. According to Few (2004), by the time they reach high school 42% of African American boys have failed at least one grade level. Furthermore, African American males are overrepresented in special education and remedial courses, grossly underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, and disciplined at disproportionately high rates (Schott Foundation, 2008). As a consequence, African American males attending urban public schools continue to be represented at the bottom rung of virtually every measure of student achievement (Polite & Davis, 1999; Schott Foundation, 2008). Consequently, African American males are among the most at-risk subgroups being educated in American public schools.According to Kunjufu (2002) and Porter (1998), the academic underperformance of African American males is nothing less than an epidemic that continues to limit the academic and career opportunities for millions of African American males. Nationally, less than 50% of African American males graduate from high school, and less than 8% of African American males earn college degrees (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006; Schott Foundation, 2008). These rates of school completion for African American males correlate with high rates of incarceration, high rates of unemployment, poor health, and a limited overall quality of life (Gibbs, 1998; Lips, 2008). The Kaiser Foundation (2006) supported Harrison's and Beck's findings when it presented data showing that by 2005 more than 10% of African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 were incarcerated. In terms of unemployment rates, in 2006 the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 19.5% of African American males were jobless. This rate of unemployment was more than double the unemployment rate for White and Hispanic males. These data lend support to Kunjufii's notion that the American public schools have been ineffective in meeting the academic needs of African American males (Kunjuiu, 2002). All of these facts underscore a troubling reality for African American males during their time as public school students and thereafter.Reemergence of Single-Sex SchoolsIn 2006, President George W. Bush and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings enacted legislation that would permit single-sex education as a public school option. The intent of this legislation was to provide increased flexibility in which schools could better address the needs of a rapidly changing and diverse student population. In other words, a concept that single-sex education can better serve the needs of urban, African American students was posed (Aranti, 2007; Hubbard & Datnow, 2005; Maryland State Department of Education, 2006). Consequently, single-sex education as a public schooling option is a topic that continues to draw interest and a great deal of debate among school officials, policymakers, parents, and researchers.Single-Sex Education as an Urban School ReformAmerican public schools are in dire need of reforms that better account for the very distinct and complex needs of African American male students. Single-sex education is among the newest and most intriguing reform efforts being implemented in schools where low academic achievement for African American students persists. Notable urban school districts including Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. are among the many school districts that are now offering gender-specific education. However, research on single-sex education in public schools, especially in urban districts, remains limited (Datnow, Hubbard, & Woody, 2001). …

Table of Contents

Abstract Cover Story Prevent hazing tragedies now before it's too late Follow proactive approach to reduce hazing incidents Briefs Most student‐vets earn college degrees Law expands exceptions to nondisclosures Kaplan closes 9 campuses Students receive free textbooks Assessment Advice Reassure staff members about outcomes Student Development Help students protect their image via ‘brand’ program Generating Opportunities Transform nontraditional students into valuable donors Student Conduct Consider how everyone is impacted by sexual misconduct Resources/Managing Your Office Stay connected to off‐site staff Resources Use online tool to develop leaders Rent out facilities to generate funds Address alcohol abuse with book's strategies You Be The Judge Did private university officers violate student's rights? Law & Campus CAMPUS SAFETY Student raped at off‐campus party loses suit against university DISCRIMINATION College agrees to investigate student's allegations DISCIPLINE Interpretation of a crime saves student from deportation DRUG TESTING Students lose battle against mandatory drug tests Leaders & Innovators BONNIE B. GORMAN, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT & DEAN OF STUDENTS, MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Reconsider impact of accountability measurements, methods Word of Advice Embrace changes to institutional culture

“Our biggest challenge is stereotypes”: Understanding Stereotype Threat and the Academic Experiences of African American Undergraduates

The Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) project was designed to contribute much needed knowledge about factors that impact the graduation and retention rates of African Americans and other diverse student populations in higher education. Funded by the Ford Foundation, the DLE explored how campus climate, campus policies, curricular and co-curricular environments, interplay and impact student outcomes. African Americans were the only group in the study to identify stereotypes and stereotype threat as the biggest barriers to their academic success. This article highlights the challenges African Americans face related to stereotypes and stereotype threat, and contends that interventions designed to improve the achievement and degree attainment of the group must focus on eliminating the power of stereotypes in college environments.Keywords: stereotypes, stereotype threat, degree progressRetaining and graduating students from four-year degree programs is a challenge many postsecondary institutions face nationwide. For years, researchers and practitioners have strived to uncover what factors contribute to students choosing to remain or depart from a college or university. Although the literature offers many insights as to what factors impede the degreecompletion of undergraduates, there has been very little change in the number of students that earned college degrees over the last 70-plus years (Adelman, 2004; Barton, 2002). This fact is evidence that much more research must be done to highlight what institutions can do to support students and increase their chances of graduating.African Americans in particular have one of the lowest retention and degree completion rates nationwide with only 42% earning their bachelor's degree within six years. The national average is 57 percent (U.S. Department of Education, 2009; Note: Data are from the 2001 cohort and includes all first-time, full-time, degree seeking students at all four-year institutions). The Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) project was designed to contribute much needed knowledge about factors that impact the trajectories of African Americans and other diverse student populations. Funded by the Ford Foundation and housed at the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, the DLE specifically sought to comprehend how multiple factors such as campus climate, campus policies, curricular and co-curricular environments, interplay and impact student outcomes (Hurtado et al., 2012). Seven twoand four-year institutions participated in the project. Surveys were administered and focus groups were conducted at each campus. The data collected revealed many important findings about student experiences as they relate to degree completion and retention.One intriguing result came from the student focus groups. Of all the students interviewed at four-year institutions, African Americans were the only group to report struggles with stereotypes. In fact, they explicitly cited stereotypes and stereotype threat as the biggest barriers to their academic success. This finding is significant as stereotype threat has been linked to lower academic achievement and degree incompletion (Fischer, 2010; Steele, 1992, 1997). This article highlights the challenges African Americans face with stereotypes and stereotype threat, and contends that interventions designed to improve the achievement and degree attainment of the group must focus on eliminating the power of stereotypes in college environments.BACKGROUND LITERATUREThe following section presents literature that illuminates the meaning of stereotypes and the theory of stereotype threat. Key research findings are also highlighted, which reveal the impact stereotype threat has on the academic achievement of African American undergraduates.Stereotypes and Stereotype ThreatStereotypes can be defined as gross generalizations applied to a group of people with some level of shared characteristics. Gordon Allport brilliantly defined stereotypes as an exaggerated belief associated with a category . …