Four-year Public University Research Articles

Exploring generative AI literacy in higher education: student adoption, interaction, evaluation and ethical perceptions

Purpose Current knowledge and research on students’ utilization and interaction with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their academic work is limited. This study aims to investigate students’ engagement with these tools. Design/methodology/approach This research used survey-based research to investigate generative AI literacy (utilization, interaction, evaluation of output and ethics) among students enrolled in a four-year public university in the southeastern USA. This article focuses on the respondents who have used generative AI (218; 47.2%). Findings Most respondents used generative AI to generate ideas for papers, projects or assignments, and they also used AI to assist with their original ideas. Despite their use of AI assistance, most students were critical of generative AI output, and this mindset was reflected in their reported interactions with ChatGPT. Respondents expressed a need for explicit guidance from course syllabi and university policies regarding generative AI’s ethical and appropriate use. Originality/value Literature related to generative AI use in higher education specific to ChatGPT is predominantly from educators’ viewpoints. This study provides empirical evidence about how university students report using generative AI in the context of generative AI literacy.

Navigating Threats of Wildfires and Individual Rights to Adopt 100% Tobacco-Free Policy in Rural California Community Colleges.

In California, all four-year public colleges have adopted 100% smoke-/tobacco-free policies (TFP) whereas community colleges (CCs), particularly rural CCs, are less likely to have tobacco-free environments. This raises concerns about health equity, particularly because smoking prevalence is higher in rural areas compared to urban. We examined policy adoption barriers and facilitators for rural California CCs with the aim of providing lessons learned to support TFP adoption by rural CCs and improve conditions for student health and well-being. A multiple case study of four CCs in California with (n = 2) and without (n = 2) TFPs was conducted. Semi-structured interviews with 12 campus and community stakeholders, school administrative data, and policy-relevant documents were analyzed at the case level with comparison across cases to identify key barriers, facilitators and campus-specific experiences. All four CCs shared similar barriers to policy adoption including concerns about wildfires, individual rights, and fear of marginalizing people who smoke on campus. These CCs have experienced serious wildfires in the last ten years, have high community smoking prevalence, and fewer school resources for student health. For the two tobacco-free CCs, long-term wildfire mitigation efforts along with leadership support, campus/community partnerships and a collective approach involving diverse campus sectors were essential facilitators in successful TFP adoption. Study results underscore contextual pressures and campus dynamics that impact tobacco control efforts at colleges in rural communities. Strategies to advance college TFP adoption and implementation should recognize rural cultural and community priorities.

Beyond the Library: The Role of Academic Libraries’ Chat Reference in Answering Campus Questions

ABSTRACT Even before the COVID-19 pandemic drove most users online, chat was establishing itself as a core service for asking library-related questions of many types, from basic directional and reference to research queries of a more sophisticated nature. This investigation seeks to provide insight into how academic libraries are seen not only as a source of library assistance, but also as a means of filling an information gap on a wider subject: the university campus at large. The study’s methods involved analyzing chat transcripts from five large four-year public universities during a two-year period (2019–2021), noting the frequency of campus-related chat questions and coding the specific topics of those inquiries. The findings show that library reference services, particularly live virtual chat, are consistently valuable to the campus community and may be especially important to supporting less privileged student populations.

The For-Profit Side of Public U: University Contracts with Online Program Managers

Online enrollments in public universities have soared, in part because of universities’ increasing reliance on for-profit online program managers (OPMs) for everything from instructional design to student recruitment. However, scholarship has indicated that OPMs may play a role in producing predatory forms of inclusion in higher education for marginalized students. To identify mechanisms through which this might occur, the authors conduct a mixed-methods analysis of 161 contracts between OPMs and two- and four-year public universities, an original database of third-party financing structure, and university webpages. The analysis identifies several contract features—targeting, extraction, opacity, and captivity—that may help concentrate marginalized students in extractive or exploitative online programs at public universities. The authors also show that OPMs funded by private equity or venture capital are most likely to include contract features that incentivize aggressive revenue production and promote the recruitment of marginalized students in online, but not in-person, programs.

The promise of using study-together groups to promote engagement and performance in online courses: Experimental evidence on academic and non-cognitive outcomes

Researchers and practitioners of online education have consistently emphasized the importance of facilitating peer interaction and mutual support to create a sense of community, which in turn may enhance motivation, promote extrinsic accountability, and improve learning outcomes. Despite these assertions, experimental evidence on the effects of peer support in college online courses is limited. To address this gap, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of a study-together group intervention on students' academic and non-cognitive outcomes in a for-credit online course at a public four-year college. Our findings indicate that students who were offered a study-together group reported a higher sense of belonging than those who were not. Additionally, students with lower academic preparation and lower baseline motivation demonstrated improved academic performance as a result of this intervention, while students who preferred passive interaction reported increased motivation. However, for students with higher baseline motivation and those who preferred active interaction, the intervention appeared to negatively influence their time management.

Creating an Academic Library Escape Room Pre- and Post-Pandemic

An Escape Room encourages patron participation within the library while having a fun and cost- effective experience. Academic librarians who are initially uncertain of trying to create an escape room will find that the benefits far outweigh the challenges. A useful example is provided in this paper. Not only are escape rooms a great outreach tool, they can easily be manipulated to fit the needs of an environment both pre- and post-pandemic. This article describes the outreach efforts of a small four-year public university library and the lessons learned.

The Cost of Public Higher Education and College Enrollment

ABSTRACT How have changes in the price of enrolling full time at public 2- and 4-year colleges affected student decisions about whether and where to enroll in college? Using local differences in the growth of tuition at community colleges and public 4-year colleges, we study the impact of public higher education tuition prices on the post-secondary enrollment decisions of high school graduates over three decades. We model prospective students’ decisions about whether to attend community college, a public four-year university in their state of residence, other colleges, or no college at all, as relative prices change. We identify enrollment impacts by instrumenting tuition prices using policy variation imposed by state appropriations and tuition caps. We estimate that in counties where local community college tuition doubled (about an average for the study period), the likelihood of post-secondary enrollment fell by about 0.05, on a mean of about 0.80. In addition to reducing college enrollment overall, rising tuition at community colleges diverted other students to four-year colleges. Rising relative prices of four-year public colleges similarly diverted some students toward community colleges but did not limit college attendance in the aggregate. We also find evidence of endogeneity in tuition-setting at the institution level.

Shifting Gears in a Pandemic: The Impact of Online Academic Support for International and Domestic Students

During a global pandemic, many students in 2020-2021 turned to peer-facilitated academic support through supplemental instruction (SI) to succeed. In this study, proficient students were hired as SI Leaders and trained to facilitate study sessions in a collaborative virtual learning environment. The impact of online SI support is assessed upon subgroups of 4,831 students enrolled in difficult courses at a four-year public university. Mean course GPAs and pass rates of international students, students of color, and white students with varying levels of SI session attendance were examined. One-way ANOVA and chi-square test results reveal significant differences by level of attendance for students of color and white students, with higher mean course GPAs and pass rates associated with higher levels of attendance at SI sessions for all three subgroups. These results are consistent with feedback from SI attendees and convey the significance of programs like SI, especially in times of crisis.

The Effects of University Students’ Self-leadership on Institutional Commitment: Mediating Role of Self-efficacy

This study aims to investigate how university students' self-leadership affects institutional commitment by using their self-efficacy as a mediating factor. To gather data, a web-based survey was given to students at four-year public and private universities in Seoul. The final sample size is 347, and the research findings are as follows: First, students' self-leadership positively affects their institutional commitment. Multiple regressions showed that behavior-focused strategies and natural reward strategies have a direct and positive effect on institutional commitment. Second, students' self-leadership positively affects their self-efficacy. Third, students' self-efficacy positively affects their institutional commitment. Last, students' self-efficacy mediates the relationship between self- leadership and institutional commitment. A mediator analysis showed that through self-efficacy as a mediator, all self-leadership strategies affect institutional commitment. This is the first study to examine relationships between self- leadership, self-efficacy, and institutional commitment among undergraduate students. This research has implications for the importance of increasing students' commitment to universities, self-leadership, and self-efficacy. It also gives researchers and practitioners helpful information about setting up self- leadership and self-efficacy programs to help students become more committed to their institutions and become successful and versatile self-leaders.

The Relative Influence of Subjective and Objective Socioeconomic Status on the Noncognitive Development of First-Year College Students

The study examines the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and noncognitive development in first year college students, distinguishing between objective (or absolute) and subjective (or relative) measures of SES. The analyses draw from longitudinal data capturing college students (N = 2,488) at the start of the first year of college and again towards the end of the same academic year, across 25 public four-year colleges and universities within a single state higher education system. Results highlight the importance of subjective status, over and above objective status, and suggest strategies that may inform college and university support.

A Differences-in-Differences Analysis of the Impact of the North Carolina Fixed Tuition Program on College Costs

ABSTRACT In 2016, the North Carolina legislature implemented the North Carolina Fixed Tuition Program. This policy ensures that, once enrolled, an undergraduate student’s tuition rate at any of the state’s four-year public colleges will not increase for eight consecutive semesters of enrollment. While touted as an effort to increase affordability by helping students financially plan for college, prior research has found that these policies prompt institutions to raise the cost of attendance for undergraduate students. This study expands previous work on institutional pricing responses to tuition guarantee programs by both extending inquiry to another state context and by examining changes to revenue streams not included in prior work. Using differences-in-differences and event study approaches, I found that institutions in North Carolina increased in- and out-of-state graduate tuition rates and out-of-state undergraduate tuition rates in the wake of the Fixed Tuition Program.

How Do U.S. Colleges and Universities Help Students Address Basic Needs? A National Inventory of Resources for Food and Housing Insecurity

This study documents the resources U.S. colleges and universities offer to address student food and housing insecurity and explores differences across community colleges, four-year public schools, and four-year private schools. Using a stratified random sample ( n = 448) of U.S. postsecondary institutions, a systematic web search for evidence of 18 resources was conducted. A framework for classifying resources was developed. Logistic regression was used to explore differences by institution type. Eighty-eight percent of the schools in the sample offered at least one resource. On average, schools offered four resources. Food pantries were the most frequently offered resource, while providing information about low-cost campus dining options was the least frequently offered. Four-year private schools offered fewer resources than four-year public schools and community colleges.

The Costs of Time: Examining the Extent of the Credit Loss Penalty in College Transfer

ABSTRACT Drawing on data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) and the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS), this study examined the risks associated with losing credits in the process of transferring between colleges. The effects of credit loss are considered on the timing of degree completion and student loan debt among vertical transfers who first enroll at community colleges in addition to lateral transfers from four-year colleges. Findings suggest that credit loss functions differently across transfer pathways. Whereas transfers from four-year public colleges owe more in student loans when credits are lost, vertical transfers have a lower probability of completing a bachelor’s degree—though they also appear to be marginally protected if they move to public four-year colleges.

The Effect of In-State Tuition on International Student Enrollment: Evidence from the Heartland

In 2008, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MSCU) system modified residency criteria for tuition determinations and allowed institutions to charge international students in-state tuition. We use IPEDS data and a difference-in-differences design to determine the impact of the policy change on new international student enrollment in MSCU public four-year colleges relative to those in neighboring states, the Heartland, and all other states. We also derive a synthetic control group and compare the results. The findings indicate the MSCU policy allowing international students to pay in-state tuition drew 385 new international students to the state in the policy’s first year. Domestic student enrollment did not change, so we infer the policy resulted in an increase in net revenues. We discuss the benefits of expanding in-state tuition to international students, including how it can attract international students to less selective and regional college and universities, increase the cultural diversity of campus and local communities, and expand access to higher education to a more socioeconomically diverse population of students seeking to study in the United States.

Supporting New Programs During the Pandemic: Using Benchmarking to Communicate Resource Acquisition Needs

Two academic programs had been approved for creation at a four-year public university. Shortly after embarking on a collection and resource review process, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Due to the pandemic, many libraries and academic departments were asked to reduce their overall expenditures. New methods had to be utilized to enhance funding-focused conversations. The use of benchmarking was implemented to identify discipline-specific sources and influence budgetary approval. The benchmarking materials that were generated facilitated communication within the library, the emerging academic programs, and university-level administration. The use of these reports resulted in positive results in this specific case and ultimately led to the acquisition of a large portion of the requested resources. This approach may prove to be useful for increasing understanding across university units and assist with obtaining additional funding.

Elementary preservice teacher preparation to teach mathematics and science in an integrated STEM framework

A mixed-methods research design with a sequential, explanatory approach was used to investigate the extent to which successful completion of integrated mathematics and science methods of instruction courses related to elementary preservice teachers’ attitudes toward and confidence in teaching integrated STEM lessons. Participants (n = 24) were enrolled in their final two semesters of a teacher preparation program at a four-year public university leading to dual certification in elementary (K-6) and special education. Quantitative data were collected using the STEM Attitudes Questionnaire and the STEM Confidence Questionnaire and administered as a pre, post, and delayed post measure. Qualitative data were obtained from focus group participants and open-ended questions added to the delayed post-measures. Results indicated an overall positive change in attitudes and confidence over the 11-month period but no statistically significant difference in the participants’ attitudes toward or confidence in teaching integrated STEM lessons. Important implications for the numerous stakeholders of STEM education are presented.

Do learning communities increase first year college retention? Evidence from a randomized control trial

In this paper, we estimate the impact of a learning community on first-year college retention at a four-year public research university using a randomized control trial (RCT) for those students who opt into the experiment. Intent-to-treat and local-average-treatment-effect estimates reveal no discernable programmatic effects. We also generate estimates of program impact using observational techniques and find estimated impacts that are positive, large and statistically significant. We explore a variety of selection processes to better understand the differences between the RCT and observational estimates and to reflect on the generalizability of the RCT results for various other populations of interest. Non-random selection into the experimental sample accounts for the major difference in the two estimates and also cautions against generalizing the RCT result for populations outside the experiment.

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Mobile ACT Responses From Two Cohorts.

BackgroundMobile transdiagnostic therapies offer a solution to the challenges of limited access to psychological care. However, it is unclear if individuals can actively synthesize and adopt concepts and skills via an app without clinician support.AimsThe present study measured comprehension of and engagement with a mobile acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention in two independent cohorts. Authors hypothesized that participants would recognize that behaviors can be flexible in form and function and respond in an ACT process-aligned manner.MethodsMixed-methods analyses were performed on open-ended responses collected from initial participants (n = 49) in two parallel micro-randomized trials with: 1) first-generation college students (FGCSs) (n = 25) from a four-year public research university and 2) individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BP) (n = 24). Twice each day over six weeks, participants responded to questions about mood and behavior, after which they had a 50-50 chance of receiving an ACT-based intervention. Participants identified current behavior and categorized behavior as values-based or avoidant. Interventions were selected randomly from 84 possible prompts, each targeting one ACT process: engagement with values, openness to internal experiences, or self-awareness. Participants were randomly assigned to either exploratory (10 FGCS, 9 BP) or confirmatory (15 FGCS, 15 BP) groups for analyses. Responses from the exploratory group were used to inductively derive a qualitative coding system. This system was used to code responses in the confirmatory group. Coded confirmatory data were used for final analyses.ResultsOver 50% of participants in both cohorts submitted a non-blank response 100% of the time. For over 50% of participants, intervention responses aligned with the target ACT process for at least 96% of the time (FGCS) and 91% of the time (BP), and current behavior was labeled as values-based 70% (FGCS) and 85% (BP) of the time. Participants labeled similar behaviors flexibly as either values-based or avoidant in different contexts. Dominant themes were needs-based behaviors, interpersonal and family relationships, education, and time as a cost.ConclusionsBoth cohorts were engaged with the app, as demonstrated by responses that aligned with ACT processes. This suggests that participants had some level of understanding that behavior can be flexible in form and function.

Exploring Race and Income Heterogeneity in the Effects of State Merit Aid Loss among Four-Year College Entrants

ABSTRACT Despite the robust literature on the effects of financial aid, the effects of financial aid loss remain largely understudied. We employ a regression discontinuity design, leveraging a minimum GPA scholarship renewal threshold, to examine the effect of losing state merit aid eligibility on college student stop-out, transfer, and bachelor’s degree completion. We estimate the effects of GPA-based eligibility loss for low- and higher-income students, Black and White students, and the interactions of the two separately. Using longitudinal state administrative data from academic years 2011 to 2014 on four cohorts of students attending public four-year colleges, we find evidence that the effects of eligibility loss at the first renewal checkpoint differ among the subgroups of interest. Losing eligibility for a state merit aid scholarship at the first renewal checkpoint leads to increased stop-out among higher-income White students and increased transfer to a community college among low-income Black students. State merit aid loss has no statistically significant effect on on-time bachelor’s degree completion but causes a decrease in the probability of 150% time bachelor’s degree completion for Black students. We close with implications for policy and research.

What are Universities Doing to Help Prospective Teachers Find Positions?

The average tuition of a four-year public college is $3510 per year(Adriane, 2003). In this study, letters were sent letters to the educationdepartments of fifteen state universities in a southern state by a schoollevel administrator. Each university was asked to help the localeducation agency (LEA) find prospective teachers from theuniversities’ recent and/or future graduates. This article looks at theresponse times as well as which universities invite future success oftheir graduates.